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Only two more races, then we go into hibernation for a few months. However, the Playoff race is tightening up, and we may get some excitement after all.
One more slip-up by the hallowed 48 team and we could have a horse race. Imagine what that would mean for the Homestead race. We might even have our own home spun version of the Super Bowl…….(without the half time activities). |
Maybe: JerryMaybefield may be buying into a truck team. He’s been desperately trying to get back into a Cup ride, and this may be his last gasp to keep his name in front of owners. But all too often, the Truck series is the last rung down on the ladder. If you can’t climb back up, you’re destined to remain in the Trucks until you slide off altogether. And yes, this is the same guy that bumped The Old Man out of the way to win at Pocanose, so I do bear a grudge in this case.
Not a GEM: NA$CAR has apparently nixed a move by GEM to switch to Oyota next year. This is puzzling, because the teams are just contract agents, and are not supposed to be ‘managed’ by the NA$CAR / ICS conglomerate. What gives them the right to determine what the owners decide is their best decision as far as a car manufacturer is concerned??? Besides, Dodge (Chrysler) is on very shaky ground at this point. Perhaps NA$CAR thinks that this might tip Chrysler into moving out altogether (that is, if they aren’t swallowed up my GM).
Pickin’ on Mark: Personally, my support of SirMark has diminished. When he had his ‘retirement’ tour with Roush a few years ago, then suddenly ‘unretired’, then continued to switch teams like he was jousting with windmills, I lost respect for the old fart. What concerns me is that he must really, REALLY believe he can win a Championship at Hendrick. Yeah, and Bill Elliott and KennyShredder are capable of the same feat. Yeah, and there really is a Santa Claus. In reality, Hendrick doesn’t need another “Mr. Nice Guy”. They need a bully, but not one so out of control as KidKyle.
Ahah !!!: I’ve been waiting for this, and it finally happened. Gordo recently said “We’re not changing Steve or crew chiefs,” Gordon said. “I believe in him. The problems we’re having are not Steve. We need to build more depth on the team, and Steve is a big part of organizing that and has really been spearheading a lot of the ideas that are going to be improvements for us for this season and next year.” Yes, this is the proverbial Kiss Of Death for LeFarte. Once Gordo starts heaping platitudes like this late in the season, it’s a sure thing that the crew chief will be out on his ear in the not too distant future. It happened just this way a few years ago……..
Da Race: Only 5 yellows for the 334 laps, so it went smoothly (except for a few bobbles). The biggest story was the utter failure of the 48 team to conquer another cookie cutter. They were really bad from the start, got a lap down, “fixed” their problem, and never saw the lead lap again. This boggles the mind, cuz this is what they do the best. They are ‘off’, then they fine-tune the car to be either a winner, or in the top 5. So this puts a big chink in their armor for stealing the Championship. A setback, yes, but don’t by any means count them out.
Ooops: So now there’s another conflict between drivers. Pablo nudges DavieGilliland. Davie thinks it’s a bit too much, then a few laps later turns into Pablo’s tail…..sending Pablo in a hard crash into the wall. Davie gets parked for the duration of the race. Then, Davie gives an TV interview and whitewashes the whole incident. To hear him tell it, he got loose and accidentally got into Pablo. What an extreme figment of one’s imagination. Actually, he was trying to lie his way out of a bad situation for himself, his team, and his sponsor. I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t work for me.
Phenoms: So we’ve finally got Jumpin’Joey Logano in a Cup race driving an official Gibbs car. Apparently he needs a lot more seat time in a Cup car before he gets his wings, cuz he really didn’t impress anyone with his 40th place finish. However, his nearest phenom competitor, Brad Keselowski, did much better with a 19th place finish. So let’s not anoint Joey quite yet, cuz he’s got some very big shoes to fill. He may fall flat on his face next year.
Fumes: This race turned into another one of the dreaded ‘gas mileage’ races. It probably wasn’t planned that way from the start, but it got down to the final laps and da Flipster, Gordo, and Jr. decided to run on their fumes. Eury Jr. must’ve been counting with his fingers and toes, cuz they didn’t quite make it and ran outta gas with 6 to go. Now, we all hate fumes races, but at least this had a happy ending. After all, in most cases, da Flipster is the better of two evils, and kept Gordo’s losing streak going. Not that we dislike Gordo…..but it’s a case of bringing an idol back to ground with a serious losing streak. Besides, there is the underdog mentality in most of us that wants Flip to somehow beat JJ to the golden crown of the Championship.
Winners: The Roushketeers, who took 5 of the top 11 places, seem to own the title this weekend. JamieMac may finally be coming into his own, but the sad thing is that The Cat in the Hat is changing his crew chief next year. Just when things start to jell, the boss sticks his nose into things ‘to make things better”. Time will tell. When you get right down to it, Roush drivers have won the Texazz Two Step more than any other team. Just like JJ used to call CMS ‘his house’, Roushketeers must love going back to Texazz.
Heaps of 3’s all over yer local Office Depot,
Racing Maniac #3
Car Insurance Used Toyota Tacoma
