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Nascar and Shakespeare? One talks in circles and the other rides around in circles. I’ll leave it up to you to decide who does what. Or is it whom does what? Once again, I’ll let you do the deciphering. I just write the stuff. Doesn’t mean that the words I put on ‘OpaperO’ have to make sense. I just need to get your attention somehow.

Whatever happened to the rookie that comes into cup (I.e. Harvick in 2001), seemingly from nowhere, and makes heads turn faster than “an eye of a newt as it catches a glimpse of the toe of frog”? Not exactly like the quote from that Shakespearean fella, but you get the picture. The only rookie that got any publicity this year was Michael McDowell. It wasn’t for his racing either that got his name mentioned on every sports and news channel in America this last weekend either.

The common denominator between the S-man on who no one can understand, even after hundreds of years, or rookie Michael McDowell might be that no one probably understood what McDowell was saying either as he was entering his fifth or sixth tumble after that scary qualifying run last Friday. If a person could understand what the 00 driver was saying, I’m sure lots of bleeps would have been in order prior to it being aired on television. Kinda like Shakespeare if there would have been television back in his day. Definitely lots of bleeps would have been heard, not because of vulgarity, but due to hearing his stuff makes ones ears hurt.

Other than McDowell introducing himself to the Nascar world and the 2 or 3 other people in this great country who watch CNN with his version of a back flip. No 2008 rookie has even come close to showing even a miniscule amount of greatness.

Remember those inaugural days of Jimmy Johnson and Ryan Newman way back in 2002 when they had 4 combined wins and ten poles while finishing 5th and 6th in the final standings? Where did they come from? How did they do that? Look what they hath done since! Then one short year later McMurray and Biffle come on the scene as they end up in the top twenty and have a pole and a win between them. The year of 2004 brought in Kahne with a 13th spot at the end and thirteen top five’s. In 2005 “Crybaby” Busch came into Cup and won two races and earned a pole. What can you say about Hamlin in 2006 finishing third with two wins and three poles? Last year gave us inkling that rookies in the near future would be marginal at best, even with Montoya winning one race in 2007.

What the dickens! This year I would rather read “The Merry Wives of Windsor” than watch this year’s crop of rooks, let alone have one of them on my fantasy team. Chevy driver Regan Smith is the highest ranking by three points over fellow newcomer Sam Hornish, Jr. as they stand in 34th and 35th respectively.

Hornish even got a head start by swapping points with the 2 car to guarantee a starting spot in the first five races. Look at what he’s done with that early Christmas present. Not a heck of a lot or as Shakespeare would spout out, “a mule, a mule! My racecar for a mule!” Actually he wrote horse, and a kingdom is what the old man wanted, but I think a top ten at Phoenix would suffice.

Not only Hornish, but in the same sad category one might as well include those other Dodge rookies of Franchitti and Carpentier’. I think Shakespeare had it right when he was referring to some of those newbies, something is rotten in the state of “Dodgecamp”. I guess we should have known better, “Nothing can come from nothing”!

I do like the idea of Dodge changing its logo from a ram to a donkey (notice I didn’t use a seven-letter word starting with a “j” and ending with a “s”). Might actually be portrayed faster and keep those Dodge teams out of the stable and on the lead lap occasionally.

Our BONFIRE fantasy league isn’t quite like Nascar’s rookies, as BONFIRE recruit David won his first race of the year. Though it could have been back to back if it wasn’t for him flipping a coin and dropping the wrong driver two weeks ago. Maybe Carl Edwards can offer some flipping lessons, huh? Just don’t go to the Michael McDowell School of Flipping.

Other first year players, Jordon is in sixth while six-year-old rookie, Bryson, finds himself just a few points behind. Hamlet says something to the effect its, “Cruel to be kind”. With that said, I will not say anything about Wayne. He’s in last place and of course is a BONFIRE rookie.

I know this article is “Much ado about Nothing”, but “fellow friends, Romans, countrymen, I didn’t ask you to lend me your ears”. But you gave them too me anyhow and here is something to ponder until next week, “To keep the fire burning, or not keep the fire burning, that is the question!”