I’m lovin’ these early start times, and especially when there are fewer Yellows. This makes it much easier to catch the race and not waste the whole day. Kudos to NA$CAR……
Welcome back, Jack
Papis to Mears: It’s a sorry state of affairs when Smiling Max is replaced by CaseOfMears in the Germain #13 car. OK, Max didn’t set the world on fire, but he’s still on the learning curve with Cup cars. And being with a ‘start & park’ team really isn’t giving him adequate seat time. Not so for Casey. He’s definitely on the downside of his driving career, and like a few other greybeards, ought to consider moving to the trucks or Busch league.
Robo: RoboGordo’s been dissed again. He formally severed his agreement with BAM Racing and will take legal action for lack of payment and breach of contract. What is it with some of these 4th rated teams? Is there no honor in some of their agreements? I’m beginning to think this sport has been invaded by a bunch of shysters.
Rickster: OK, sign Kasey prematurely, then try to figure out where he should drive in 2011. Unfortunately, the Rickster couldn’t put the puzzle together as he envisioned it. Nooo, SirMark decided to dig in his heals, and force his contract to its conclusion. So Kasey’s with RedBull for a one year stand. Based on the fact that Vickers won’t know if he can physically drive in 2011 until this November, who knows what RedBull’s got up their sleeves. The easiest decision is to cut Speed, and send him back to another RedBull venue, then hope that Vickers will be cleared to race. But this whole thing was rather messy.
Longitude 43: Bill Jenkins’ Latitude 43 Motorsports is a perfect example of how a new owner, without adequate sponsorship, can get into trouble real fast. Last week we indicated that Boris Said was bailing out, saying, “There’s no real polite way to say this, but Bill Jenkins owes me a bunch of money,” This week David Stremme bailed out, saying “ I dealt with (Jenkins) with respect, and was straightforward with him at all times. I didn’t get that in return.” So aside from a financial situation, there also appears that a character flaw might be in the mix…..
Budweezer: Good to hear that Bud’s gonna be on the 29 car starting next year. Now, let’s just see if Miller Lite is gonna challenge the Bud car with a bet, as they have in the past. Good natured betting would spice up the interest level for many fans, including me. I’ve always been in the Bud camp, cuz Lite is perhaps the last beer in the world I’d want to drink. Hey….it’s just a matter of good taste……
Being Labonte: Terry is jumping into a partial ownership role, and…….ohhh nooo….he’s gonna start driving again. His new partner, Bill Stavola said “We’ve got an undisputed competitive edge with Terry Labonte”. What a bunch of B.S. In my book, both of these guys should be carted off to the loony farm, cuz what they’re about to do borders on pure stupidity. But who knows… maybe Terry wants to race Bobby…….for 30th place.
Saddleburns: You’ve gotta hand it to Sadler. He had the moxie to admit that his 2011 plans are not solid, but that he would rather go to the Busch league or trucks, rather than doing start-and-park, or just run around in a Cup ride. Don’tcha wish a few more drivers would do the same thing? So give heaps of credit to Saddleburns for making this call…….
Da Race: Thank goodness it wasn’t another fuel race. The biggest risk factor came in the last Yellow, when Smoke and Happy stayed out, and everyone else came in for tires. Of the two, Smoke was the biggest loser, but still managed a 6th. Nonetheless, it’s always good to see a race at this track, because of the many racing lanes.
Bouncing back: The Roushketeers are gradually getting back into form, what with their 3rd, 4th, 5th and 11th place finishes. And it couldn’t have happened at a better time. Again, welcome back, Jack.
Southward bound: Who woulda thunk that Rickie’s bandits would slide this much? The best they could muster were 12th, 19th, 27th and 28th, and this was on what might be considered as a cookie cutter track (which used to be their bread and butter). They’re gonna need to take a serious look at how this happened. And the biggest magnifying glass might be held over das Knaus’ head, cuz he was supposed to be the guru of all crew chiefs.
More South: Penske took a big hit today, with the Blue Deuce blowing an engine with only about 15% of the race underway. Bradski finished in 34th, and 3 laps down, and Sam didn’t fare much better, with a 32nd and the last one on the lead lap.
Kudos: To Happy, whose stout engine overcame some tread bare tires. To DennyHambone for a late arrival in the front. And to Pablo, Trueaxle and Saddleburns for great top 10 finishes.
Heaps of 3’s all over yer next Penzoil oil change,
Racing Maniac #3
