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OK, we’re soooo close to seeing history being made.
But I really wonder how many of us will actually care….. |
Bradski: His aggressive driving style is getting on other drivers nerves. In yesterday’s Busch league race, Bradski bumped Denny Hambone out of the way, again raising the hackles on Hambone’s neck. This is not the first time these guys have tangled, and I would imagine that retribution is gonna happen. Will it be in the Busch league, or will it spill over into Cup races? In spite of warnings from NA$CAR, this is what makes racing interesting……
Brain Brian: France quietly filed a civil suit against his ex-wife. No one knows the details, and the Brain wants the courts to bar the public from attending any hearings. The only thing we know is that a confidentiality agreement between the two parties is coming into play. Good grief, Brain, what have you got to hide? Did she catch you doing something nasty?
Robo: RoboGordo is losing Jim Beam as his sponsor, and is in dire need of one or two good sponsors for next year. It would be a shame for this owner/driver to have to fold. We’ve seen other teams in this predicament, and it didn’t end well. In this day and age, large companies are watching their bottom line, and sponsoring a NA$CAR team may seem frivolous to some of their stockholders. But someone needs to remind the stockholders that NA$CAR fans are the most loyal brand name buyers in all of sports.
Danica: Is she or ain’t she gonna do the two step tango? There is no lack of teams interested in her, but she may need more time to sort out the details of how to mesh two different types of racing into one season. She may also have a problem lining up one or more sponsors. In good times, sponsors might’ve been eager to land such a deal, but certainly not now. Suffice to say, we ain’t heard the last of all this Danica hype.
Da race: At first we were given the distinct impression that das Kurt would run a good, competitive race, and go for another W. But he was teasing us. The 48 team had made up their minds that they would not lolly-gag, but would go up front and take on all comers. And they did this in a convincing fashion. So now the next question is: Can they five-peat???
Big One: About a third of the way through the race, somebody hiccupped on a restart, and the guys in the back of the pack paid the price. Six cars got caught up in this mess, and Mikey got the worst of it. Perhaps he was doing his ‘stay in the back until late in the race’ routine, but then, maybe he was just that bad. He obviously got the worst of it, and retired to his mega-bucks motor home. One more race and he can formally retire from full time racing. Let’s just hope that he doesn’t get the SirMark 50 year itch and decide to come back for an encore.
Really Big One: 50 laps later there was a really Big One. Jr. either did an extremely stupid move to go down to the infield shoulder, or he was losing oil and slipped in his own waste. Either way, he caused a 10 car wreck-fest that included his bud Smoke. Considering their friendship, the Smokester made a comment that probably shouldn’t be repeated.
Casual thought: Let’s compare the 48 team, the 24 team, and the 5 team. Of the driver/crew chief combinations, who is the weak link? To be more specific, which crew chief is preventing his driver from even coming near to accomplishing his goals? It’s just my opinion, but I think the answer begins with “Le”, and ends with something smelly. As with nearly every race this year, this choice has become more evident as time goes by.
Nearly the end: Is it just me, or are you getting as sick as I am of seeing the continuous banner on the screen depicting the ‘as then’ standing of the Points race? This is one aspect of the Points race that detracts from the joy of watching a race just to see how your favorite driver is gonna do. So one more race, and then we can re-set everything and start from Zero.
Kudos: To Jburton and the RCR guys who are finally getting their act together. To DennyHambone for getting close. To Trueaxle for finally having a strong run. To Pablo for quietly moving up to get another Top 10.
Sponsors: I had to laugh when I saw AJ’s sponsor.: “Ford. Drive one.”
Heaps of 3’s all over yer local Lowe’s store,
Racing Maniac #3
Camaros for sale
As a loyal #24 fan, I have to agree with your analysis of what is happening — i.e. the crew chief just isn’t cutting the mustard. Jeff is as loyal as can be to his crew chief — he was the same way with Robbie — but I’m afraid his loyalty is hurting him. He has the talent to be winning championships, but week after week he struggles with a car that doesn’t perform. Can’t help but wonder what would happen with both the 24 and 48 if they swapped crew chiefs. Or — how about bringing Ray Evernham back to the #24.
Yes, Gordo needs a new crew chief, but if Rick tried to swap the 24 and 48 crew chiefs, someone would have to change JJ’s diapers. Ray would never come back to this level of job (after all, he was once an owner). Nonetheless, there are plenty of capabale crew chiefs out there that could fill the bill. But the Rickster might have to get his heart replaced in order to make such a move.
RM