I have a lot of fun doing this blog, because I get to talk about my favorite subject, which is stock car auto racing. Not just Nascar, but all stock car racing. I love watching the ARCA series. I love watching late model races at my local track as well. I like watching dirt track racing. When I was a teenager, I used to come home happy, and covered with dust after watching a red dirt race up at Riverside Speedway, in northern Greenville County, South Carolina.
I've also been a fan of drag racing, but not as much. I used to watch Scotty Cannon back in the day when he raced and won a lot at the Greer Dragway, which I believe is in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Back in those days, they had nights when you could take any car you wanted to down to the track, and drag race. Maybe they still do. I had a friend with a Ford F100 pickup, 1977 model, I think, with a 390 cubic inch engine and an old 3 on the tree transmission. For those of you who don't know what a three on the tree was, that was an old style column shift manual transmission. My friend could drop the clutch in 2nd gear and burn rubber for as long as he kept the gas pedal on the floor. Lot's of smoke, lots of screaming engine sounds, lots of fun. He raced his truck sometimes at the Greer Dragway, and I think he actually won a few. Think about it. A Ford pickup truck beating Camaros and Firebirds on a quarter mile strip. He did it.
My friend doesn't race anymore, to my knowledge. But racing is something that gets into your blood. I watched my first Nascar race when I was about 6 or 7 years old, and I've been hooked ever since. 99.9 per cent of the races I've watched where on TV, and back when I was a kid, you only got to see parts of races on Wide World of Sports, on ABC. In the 1980's, I began to go to some race tracks, such as Darlington and Atlanta and Charlotte. A few years ago, I got to go to Talladega, and that was a real experience. I've been at the track two times when Dale Earnhardt Jr. won, and back in the day, I was at the track as well when his father won. Regardless of anything else going on in my life, those were and still are special moments to me.
I'm an Earnhardt fan. I wasn't always. When I was a kid, I liked Richard Petty a lot, but usually pulled for David Pearson, because he was from the next town over, Spartanburg. In 1979 when Earnhardt came along, I saw him, but didn't really SEE him. It took a few years. Back in those days I probably thought of Dale Earnhardt much like I think of Kyle Busch today. Dale wrecked a lot of cars. He did what I considered to be stupid things on the track. It wasn't until about midway through the 1980's, when Dale was winning everything there was to win, that I began to respect the man. There was a race, one time, and I think it might have been Bristol, but I'm not sure, but Dale was penalized a lap for rough driving, and proceeded to not only race back to make up that lap, but went on and won the race. Dale never needed to be motivated. He had it always inside him. He was born to race, and was always a pure racer. To him, nothing mattered at all except winning.
And win he did. 76 races and 7 championships. Richard Petty also won 7 championships, but he raced in a lot more races, and also back in the day when they used to run 60 or 70 races a year. But to me, race for race, pass for pass, Dale Earnhardt was and will always be the greatest stock car driver that ever lived.
It might surprise you to know that I'm not a fan of his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., just because he's Dale Earnhardt's son. The first time I ever saw Dale Jr. on camera was in 1997, or maybe 1998. He just seemed like a great kid. He had a lot of confidence, but he didn't whine or complain when he wrecked or made a mistake. He respected the old school drivers, and talked to them and learned from them. He grew up watching his dad and other drivers race. He knew a lot about the sport before he ever climbed into a race car. He watched videos of old races, studied driver's styles and moves. It's true that Dale Jr. had resources his father never had. But Dale Jr. approached it from a racer's point of view, just like his dad did. Anything you can do to beat the other guy, or that gives you some advantage, you learn from it. Dale did it, and so did his son.
When Rod Osterlund sold the team to J.D. Stacy, Dale left. He didn't like the situation, so he left. He'd already won a championship, but the main thing was that Dale wanted to race with the best equipment, but also the best people. He worked briefly with Richard Childress, who had been a driver himself. Richard told Dale to go away until he got his shop and cars in order. Dale drove for Bud Moore for a couple of years, but hated the Fords he was driving. He won, but wasn't happy with the way things were working out. Finally, Dale went back to Childress, and history was made. 6 championships with Richard Childress. The 3 car was truly bullet proof.
We all thought so. I cried the day that Dale won the 1998 Daytona 500. To me, that might be the most memorable moment in Nascar history. I also shed some tears when Dale Jr. won the 2001 Pepsi 400 at Daytona, and when he won the 2004 Daytona 500.
I don't really like to talk about February 18, 2001. I didn't even get to see the entire race, because I had other committments that day. When I heard the news, I was totally stunned. I think I walked around in a trance for about 3 months after that. I was happy to see Steve Park win at Rockingham the following week. I was happy to see Kevin Harvick win at Atlanta a couple of weeks later. But everytime I thought about it, tears came to my eyes. I'm not the crying type, either. But the loss of Dale Earnhardt did and still does bring tears to my eyes.
The son doesn't look much like the father. Sometimes he sounds like him, but even his driving style doesn't remind me of his father's. But somehow, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has achieved amazing success on his own, even after his father died. A lot of people like Dale Jr. for a lot of reasons, but I think there is one underlying reason for his amazing popularity. It's really simple. He's a nice guy.
With Dale Earnhardt Jr., you get what you see. He does not try to be a celebrity, but he is. He doesn't try to make the young ladies swoon, but he does. I think if you asked Dale Jr. why he's so popular, he'd probably tell you he has no idea. He appreciates his fans, almost to a fault, and does a lot of things for his fans that other drivers would distain to do. He creates dvd's and TV shows, and does it solely for his fans. He apologizes to his fans when he doesn't run well. Of course he's under tremendous pressure from his sponsors to perform well, and he does. But I think he worries about disapointing his fans more. The same could be said about probably quite a few drivers these days, but Dale Jr. is the one that I notice the most that seems to be trying to make his fans happy.
We've always got the detractors out there, but that's fine. The sport needs detractors. We all have our favorite drivers and the drivers we don't like. Dale Earnhardt Jr. may not win 200 races. He may not win 7 championships. But he'll always be remembered for being the person that he is. He'll eventually be put on the list of the greatest drivers, maybe not because of the number of wins or championships, but for the guy that the majority of the fans pull for.
Dale Jr., You have arrived.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
May I ask you an honest question?
It's a simple question. Do you think I can write? Do you like what you read? I'd appreciate some honest opinions here, good or bad. It's that simple. Do you think I ought to keep up what I've been doing for a while or just forget about it? I don't want you to worry about my feelings or my ego or anything, because I pretty much don't much have either anymore. Just tell me what you think. If you can't leave a comment, just e-mail me at jimcinsc@gmail.com. I will read all, but I can't promise I will reply to all. I will make an effort to reply to all I can, but sometimes that's just not possible.
I can assure you all opinions are welcome. I need to know. Call it my midlife crises, if you will. I'm 44 years old and feel like a man without a country. I've got not much of a base anymore. I'm a computer technician by trade, but find myself slipping away sometimes. Technology seems to change faster than I can read about it. I love to write, and feel like that's what I was meant to do. That doesn't mean that it's what I ought to do. I want your honest opinion on that. I've got nearly 200 posts on this blog, and some of them are not as good as I'd want them to be, but some of them were pretty good, in my not so humble opinion.
C'mon, tell me what you think, honestly. You won't hurt my feelings. If you can't post a reply, just go to my e-mail at jimcinsc@gmail.com. You won't hurt my feeling at all if you tell me I probably need to be flipping burgers. As a matter of fact, I might be doing that soon.
Thanks for any and all replies.
I can assure you all opinions are welcome. I need to know. Call it my midlife crises, if you will. I'm 44 years old and feel like a man without a country. I've got not much of a base anymore. I'm a computer technician by trade, but find myself slipping away sometimes. Technology seems to change faster than I can read about it. I love to write, and feel like that's what I was meant to do. That doesn't mean that it's what I ought to do. I want your honest opinion on that. I've got nearly 200 posts on this blog, and some of them are not as good as I'd want them to be, but some of them were pretty good, in my not so humble opinion.
C'mon, tell me what you think, honestly. You won't hurt my feelings. If you can't post a reply, just go to my e-mail at jimcinsc@gmail.com. You won't hurt my feeling at all if you tell me I probably need to be flipping burgers. As a matter of fact, I might be doing that soon.
Thanks for any and all replies.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Bid Early, Bid Often!
There's only 3 days left in this installment of the TireDawg (aka Garz Karz) Victory Junction Gang Camp charity diecast auction. Remember folks, this is a one of a kind, hand painted diecast, done in exquisite detail. Whether you're a collector or not, this is all for a very worthy cause, and I hope you'll give with your heart. All proceeds from this auction will be donated to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, where the money will be put to very good use.
TireDawg has been making custom diecast for a long time, mostly for profit, but he will be turning out approximately one custom per month for auction, and he will make sure the proceeds go to the VJGC. Please remember that this is for a great cause, and chances are your favorite driver contributes to the Camp as well.
You can find the Auction Here!
Here is a list of drivers who contribute to the Victory Junction Gang Camp:
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
There's a Reason why the Earnhardt Nation is so Charged Up!
I know, a lot of people give Dale Earnhardt Jr. a lot of grief, but statistically, Dale Jr. is having his best year ever. I want to thank my friends at RacingReferenceInfo.com for providing accurate stats for all things Nascar.
Dale Jr. so far has had an average starting position of 9.4 in 2008. That's the best of his career. Previously, his best starting position was 10.9, which was 2004. Dale Jr. won 6 races that year, but this year, after only 19 races, Dale Jr. is enjoying the best starting average of his career.
In 2008, Dale Jr.'s finishing average is 11.5, also the best of his career. His next best came also in 2004, with an average finish of 12.1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is truly on track for the best performance of his career, even if he does not achieve 5 or 6 wins.
18 Cup wins, 83 top 5's, and 133 top 10's adds up to a lot for a guy that only has 310 starts in the Cup series. No driver wins every week, and Dale has had a rather phenomenal career, despite his lack, so far, of a Cup championship. Dale Jr. has won 2 Busch Series championships however. In the former Busch series, now named Nationwide, Dale Jr. has also won 22 times out of 104 starts.
For all of you who say that Dale Jr. can't drive a race car, think again. As this year proves, after his move to Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Jr. just gets better and better. He's also going to be harder and harder to beat.
There's a reason other than the statistics why we in the Earnhardt Nation are proud. Despite being the most popular driver since 2002, Dale Jr. has remained a humble driver, and respects other drivers and his fans. Dale Jr. is a whiner? Not hardly. Dale Jr. gets the nod from Nascar? Grow up and examine the facts. Do you really think that 42 other drivers, each with contracts to different owners and sponsors, are just going to lie down for one other driver? Would Lowes lay down for Home Depot? Would Amp lay down for Red Bull? If you think so, then dream on. There's way too much money involved here for that to even be imaginable.
2008 seems to be the year that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has arrived. He's won a points race, and two non-points races, and all I can say is what I remember the great Benny Parsons saying during a race or two. "Boys, he's coming! He's coming!"
Dale Jr. is on his way.
Dale Jr. so far has had an average starting position of 9.4 in 2008. That's the best of his career. Previously, his best starting position was 10.9, which was 2004. Dale Jr. won 6 races that year, but this year, after only 19 races, Dale Jr. is enjoying the best starting average of his career.
In 2008, Dale Jr.'s finishing average is 11.5, also the best of his career. His next best came also in 2004, with an average finish of 12.1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is truly on track for the best performance of his career, even if he does not achieve 5 or 6 wins.
18 Cup wins, 83 top 5's, and 133 top 10's adds up to a lot for a guy that only has 310 starts in the Cup series. No driver wins every week, and Dale has had a rather phenomenal career, despite his lack, so far, of a Cup championship. Dale Jr. has won 2 Busch Series championships however. In the former Busch series, now named Nationwide, Dale Jr. has also won 22 times out of 104 starts.
For all of you who say that Dale Jr. can't drive a race car, think again. As this year proves, after his move to Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Jr. just gets better and better. He's also going to be harder and harder to beat.
There's a reason other than the statistics why we in the Earnhardt Nation are proud. Despite being the most popular driver since 2002, Dale Jr. has remained a humble driver, and respects other drivers and his fans. Dale Jr. is a whiner? Not hardly. Dale Jr. gets the nod from Nascar? Grow up and examine the facts. Do you really think that 42 other drivers, each with contracts to different owners and sponsors, are just going to lie down for one other driver? Would Lowes lay down for Home Depot? Would Amp lay down for Red Bull? If you think so, then dream on. There's way too much money involved here for that to even be imaginable.
2008 seems to be the year that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has arrived. He's won a points race, and two non-points races, and all I can say is what I remember the great Benny Parsons saying during a race or two. "Boys, he's coming! He's coming!"
Dale Jr. is on his way.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Yawn.
Last night, I finally figured out why non Nascar fans find racing boring. It was evident early in the race that nobody had anything that could run in the same zip code, much less area code of the 18 car of Kyle Busch. I got so bored I went outside and looked up at the stars, or as many as I could see in the cloudy South Carolina sky.
Back in the 1960's, Big Bill France went to great lengths to try to make the racing equal for all manufacturers. His son, Little Bill did much the same thing in the 1970's through the 1990's. Now Brian France has the reigns of Nascar, and he's monkeyed with the sport quite a bit. I'm not so sure I'm a fan of the lucky dog pass. I agree that the cars probably don't need to be racing back to the yellow flag, when a car is sitting helpless, sideways on the track. If it means greater safety for the drivers, I'm all for it. If the head and neck restraint system, commonly known as the HANS device had been mandated before the 2001 racing season started, Dale Earnhardt probably would have grumbled about it, probably a lot. But he might still be alive. Had it been mandated before the 2000 racing season, Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty might still be with us.
The new car, formerly known as the Car Of Tomorrow was meant to be safer, and also level out the playing field. It would appear that the playing field is not, in fact, level however. Kyle Busch won his 7th Cup race of 2008 at Chicagoland last night. I will congratulate him for an astonishing year, and am willing to recognize that the Wild Child does indeed have talent. But I have to ask you, how much talent does it take to run out front, virtually every race, with no competition around to make it interesting? Crew chief Steve Addington is an absolute genius, and Kyle must be the best driver in the history of the sport, or is there something else going on?
Toyota debuted in Nascar's elite series for the first time last year. They had a very dismal year. For 2008, Toyota somehow convinced long time GM race owner Joe Gibbs to switch from Chevrolet to Toyota. Head engine guru Mark Cronquist took charge of the engine program, with a lot of help from Toyota, and he's apparently a genius too. Nobody, from any other automobile manufacturer, with anyone at the wheel can keep up with the 18 car of Kyle Busch.
What's strange about this is that neither can his teammates. Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin are both winless this year in the Cup series. Supposedly they have the same engines, the same chassis as Kyle does, but they can't keep up. Tony is leaving after 2008, going back to Chevrolet with Stewart-Haas Racing, to be an owner and a driver. Why leave when Toyota is so good, so suddenly?
Tony is a 2 time Cup Champion with over 30 wins to his credit, and each victory in Nascar has come in that famous orange number 20 Home Depot car. Tony is known as a late starter, not usually winning until the season is well under way. But Tony looks like a chump when he's trying to chase down his teammate, the next Dale Earnhardt, the next Jeff Gordon, the next, dare I say it? Richard Petty? I've heard all those names used in comparison with Kyle Busch.
Next Dale Earnhardt? Heck no. Richard Petty? Forget about it. Jeff Gordon? Nope. Not enough class. If Kyle Busch would just grow up, I might be able to admire him. But I can't admire a person who consistently acts like a spoiled brat. Even his older brother, Kurt, doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with him. Kyle seems to rejoice in the boos he receives at the track, making his sarcastic bows, and basically irritating fans over virtually every other driver out there.
I'm a Kyle Busch fan. He's not my favorite driver, but I've been watching this sport since about 1971. I've watched the King battle the Silver Fox. I've seen Cale battle Bobby. I've seen Earnhardt battle Jaws. I appreciate people that can drive these cars on a track with 42 other cars. I'm a fan of all of them when it comes right down to it. They've all got way more talent at driving than I will ever have. So I can say I'm a Kyle Busch fan. I never want to see any of these people get hurt. I've seen too many drivers die, both on the track and off. Fireball Roberts. Alan Kulwicki. Davey Allison. Neil Bonnett. Kenny Irwin. Adam Petty. Dale Earnhardt. I've seen a lot of near death experiences too. Bobby Allison. Ernie Irvan. Steve Park.
What these guys do is incredible. The fact that they can do it at all is amazing to me. I never want to see any of these guys carted off on a stretcher. It's happened before, and it will happen again, but I hate to see anyone get hurt in this sport. I wish I could say I like Kyle Busch, but I can't honestly say that.
He started his professional career with Rick Hendrick, and had a decent, but not very distinguished career there. He was let go last year to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr. This year, apparently is the year of Kyle. He's won in all 3 series this year. He's gathered a few fans, but irritated many more with his sarcasm. If I had to guess, the average Kyle Busch fan is about 13, and likes to sass their parents. Darrell Waltrip is much older, but he probably sassed his parents too.
I hope that in it's infinite wisdom, Nascar will find a way to truly level the playing field. This sport is too important to me to just walk away from it, but I'm afraid if I see many more races like I watched Friday and Saturday night, that might be just what I'll do.
Please don't forget to check out the Tiredawg's auction to benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp. You can find the auction here! To read more about the Victory Junction Gang Camp, just click Here! This is a very worthy cause folks, and Tiredawg is doing this out of the goodness of his heart. He does great work, as you will see. Please do all you can to support a great charity, started by Kyle and Patty Petty in memory of their son Adam. Own a one of a kind tribute diecast that depicts the famous colors of both Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. All the proceeds will go to the VJGC, and Kyle, Patty, and the King himself will appreciate it!
Back in the 1960's, Big Bill France went to great lengths to try to make the racing equal for all manufacturers. His son, Little Bill did much the same thing in the 1970's through the 1990's. Now Brian France has the reigns of Nascar, and he's monkeyed with the sport quite a bit. I'm not so sure I'm a fan of the lucky dog pass. I agree that the cars probably don't need to be racing back to the yellow flag, when a car is sitting helpless, sideways on the track. If it means greater safety for the drivers, I'm all for it. If the head and neck restraint system, commonly known as the HANS device had been mandated before the 2001 racing season started, Dale Earnhardt probably would have grumbled about it, probably a lot. But he might still be alive. Had it been mandated before the 2000 racing season, Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty might still be with us.
The new car, formerly known as the Car Of Tomorrow was meant to be safer, and also level out the playing field. It would appear that the playing field is not, in fact, level however. Kyle Busch won his 7th Cup race of 2008 at Chicagoland last night. I will congratulate him for an astonishing year, and am willing to recognize that the Wild Child does indeed have talent. But I have to ask you, how much talent does it take to run out front, virtually every race, with no competition around to make it interesting? Crew chief Steve Addington is an absolute genius, and Kyle must be the best driver in the history of the sport, or is there something else going on?
Toyota debuted in Nascar's elite series for the first time last year. They had a very dismal year. For 2008, Toyota somehow convinced long time GM race owner Joe Gibbs to switch from Chevrolet to Toyota. Head engine guru Mark Cronquist took charge of the engine program, with a lot of help from Toyota, and he's apparently a genius too. Nobody, from any other automobile manufacturer, with anyone at the wheel can keep up with the 18 car of Kyle Busch.
What's strange about this is that neither can his teammates. Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin are both winless this year in the Cup series. Supposedly they have the same engines, the same chassis as Kyle does, but they can't keep up. Tony is leaving after 2008, going back to Chevrolet with Stewart-Haas Racing, to be an owner and a driver. Why leave when Toyota is so good, so suddenly?
Tony is a 2 time Cup Champion with over 30 wins to his credit, and each victory in Nascar has come in that famous orange number 20 Home Depot car. Tony is known as a late starter, not usually winning until the season is well under way. But Tony looks like a chump when he's trying to chase down his teammate, the next Dale Earnhardt, the next Jeff Gordon, the next, dare I say it? Richard Petty? I've heard all those names used in comparison with Kyle Busch.
Next Dale Earnhardt? Heck no. Richard Petty? Forget about it. Jeff Gordon? Nope. Not enough class. If Kyle Busch would just grow up, I might be able to admire him. But I can't admire a person who consistently acts like a spoiled brat. Even his older brother, Kurt, doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with him. Kyle seems to rejoice in the boos he receives at the track, making his sarcastic bows, and basically irritating fans over virtually every other driver out there.
I'm a Kyle Busch fan. He's not my favorite driver, but I've been watching this sport since about 1971. I've watched the King battle the Silver Fox. I've seen Cale battle Bobby. I've seen Earnhardt battle Jaws. I appreciate people that can drive these cars on a track with 42 other cars. I'm a fan of all of them when it comes right down to it. They've all got way more talent at driving than I will ever have. So I can say I'm a Kyle Busch fan. I never want to see any of these people get hurt. I've seen too many drivers die, both on the track and off. Fireball Roberts. Alan Kulwicki. Davey Allison. Neil Bonnett. Kenny Irwin. Adam Petty. Dale Earnhardt. I've seen a lot of near death experiences too. Bobby Allison. Ernie Irvan. Steve Park.
What these guys do is incredible. The fact that they can do it at all is amazing to me. I never want to see any of these guys carted off on a stretcher. It's happened before, and it will happen again, but I hate to see anyone get hurt in this sport. I wish I could say I like Kyle Busch, but I can't honestly say that.
He started his professional career with Rick Hendrick, and had a decent, but not very distinguished career there. He was let go last year to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr. This year, apparently is the year of Kyle. He's won in all 3 series this year. He's gathered a few fans, but irritated many more with his sarcasm. If I had to guess, the average Kyle Busch fan is about 13, and likes to sass their parents. Darrell Waltrip is much older, but he probably sassed his parents too.
I hope that in it's infinite wisdom, Nascar will find a way to truly level the playing field. This sport is too important to me to just walk away from it, but I'm afraid if I see many more races like I watched Friday and Saturday night, that might be just what I'll do.
Please don't forget to check out the Tiredawg's auction to benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp. You can find the auction here! To read more about the Victory Junction Gang Camp, just click Here! This is a very worthy cause folks, and Tiredawg is doing this out of the goodness of his heart. He does great work, as you will see. Please do all you can to support a great charity, started by Kyle and Patty Petty in memory of their son Adam. Own a one of a kind tribute diecast that depicts the famous colors of both Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. All the proceeds will go to the VJGC, and Kyle, Patty, and the King himself will appreciate it!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The Kyle Busch Factor
Last night, Kyle Busch set his Toyota on cruise control and literally loafed his way to yet another win in the Nationwide series. After the race, a few other fans and I were chatting on the Dale Jr. Pit Board, and it was brought to my attention that there is a way we could all pay our proper respects to the New Boy Wonder! A fan who goes by the handle AlwaysL8 thought that instead of the usual beer cans being tossed onto the track, which I have never been a fan of, by the way, we should all present Kyle with our posteriors. Yes, a full moon salute, and I imagine if 150,000 fans all presented Wild Thing with such a salute, he might just faint on the spot. It's an interesting theory, to say the least. Providing Kyle with a little 'hind sight' might do wonders for his attitude in general.
Just in case he doesn't win again for a while, why wait until he does his burnout and his sarcastic bow? There's always driver introductions before the race, and we could all pay our respects then. What could please Wild Child more than to be presented with a full moon as tribute for his racing prowess?
It's a lot of fun to think about, but as usual there is a possibly more serious side to this little blog. Kyle literally cruised to victory last night, and as talented a driver as he is, he passed other cars on the track like he was driving a Ferrari through the Boston Marathon. We all get the point. Kyle's good, but is he really that good?
Last night, in the pre race show on ESPN2, analyst and Nationwide team owner Rusty Wallace brought up the point that the Toyota engines that Joe Gibbs Racing are using are making 22 more horsepower than his Chevrolet engines. From the way that Kyle Busch easily passed cars and drove away from the field, I'd say that figure might actually be on the conservative side. But 22 horsepower is plenty enough of an advantage in a sport where specs are checked to the thousandth of an inch.
Not too long ago, Nascar used to regularly review the statistics of each race, and if, say, the Chevrolets were winning a lot of races, they'd give the Fords some small advantage, such as a degree or two of rear spoiler. The new car just as the wing now, at least in the Cup series, but is it really right for Toyota to have such a blatant horspower advantage? I'm willing to give JGR head engine builder Mark Cronquist his due, but does Nascar really want one car manufacturer to flat out dominate the sport? Bill France Jr. would not have liked that very much, were he still with us. Brian France apparently doesn't have much of a problem with the advantage, and nobody is really in a position to tell Brian what to do, except when we as fans vote with our ticket money and TV viewership. I'll still watch all the Cup races, but I'm seriously thinking about skipping the Natiowide races for a while. Watching the 18 or 20 car win practically every race just gets so boring after a while. I watched last night's race, and saw the 18 car obviously in it's own zip code compared to the rest of the field. I'm not saying Kyle isn't a good driver, but as Clint Bowyer said last week, a monkey could win in those cars.
Racing at Chicagoland can be very exciting. I just hope the Cup race tonight is better than the Nationwide race last night.
Please remember to check out Garz Carz and his auction on E-bay! The information is in the post below.
And Kyle? this moon's for you.
Just in case he doesn't win again for a while, why wait until he does his burnout and his sarcastic bow? There's always driver introductions before the race, and we could all pay our respects then. What could please Wild Child more than to be presented with a full moon as tribute for his racing prowess?
It's a lot of fun to think about, but as usual there is a possibly more serious side to this little blog. Kyle literally cruised to victory last night, and as talented a driver as he is, he passed other cars on the track like he was driving a Ferrari through the Boston Marathon. We all get the point. Kyle's good, but is he really that good?
Last night, in the pre race show on ESPN2, analyst and Nationwide team owner Rusty Wallace brought up the point that the Toyota engines that Joe Gibbs Racing are using are making 22 more horsepower than his Chevrolet engines. From the way that Kyle Busch easily passed cars and drove away from the field, I'd say that figure might actually be on the conservative side. But 22 horsepower is plenty enough of an advantage in a sport where specs are checked to the thousandth of an inch.
Not too long ago, Nascar used to regularly review the statistics of each race, and if, say, the Chevrolets were winning a lot of races, they'd give the Fords some small advantage, such as a degree or two of rear spoiler. The new car just as the wing now, at least in the Cup series, but is it really right for Toyota to have such a blatant horspower advantage? I'm willing to give JGR head engine builder Mark Cronquist his due, but does Nascar really want one car manufacturer to flat out dominate the sport? Bill France Jr. would not have liked that very much, were he still with us. Brian France apparently doesn't have much of a problem with the advantage, and nobody is really in a position to tell Brian what to do, except when we as fans vote with our ticket money and TV viewership. I'll still watch all the Cup races, but I'm seriously thinking about skipping the Natiowide races for a while. Watching the 18 or 20 car win practically every race just gets so boring after a while. I watched last night's race, and saw the 18 car obviously in it's own zip code compared to the rest of the field. I'm not saying Kyle isn't a good driver, but as Clint Bowyer said last week, a monkey could win in those cars.
Racing at Chicagoland can be very exciting. I just hope the Cup race tonight is better than the Nationwide race last night.
Please remember to check out Garz Carz and his auction on E-bay! The information is in the post below.
And Kyle? this moon's for you.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Help some unfortunate Kids out this Weekend!
I am lucky enough to have a great E-bay auction to help present to you today. Our Pit Board buddy, Tiredawg makes wonderful diecasts. He paints and decals them by hand, and as you can see, he does wonderful work. This is a half and half, 43 and 3, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, the only two drivers who have each one 7 Winston Cup Championships. This beautiful diecast can be yours with a winning bid, and all monies will be contributed to a great cause, Kyle and Patty Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp. Tiredawg will even ship it to you for free. What a deal! You just can't get anything quite like this anywhere else. It's an one off design, and there's not another one like it in the world. Keep in mind that you are going to be helping some kids who have had a very rough life, if you buy this car.
Victory Junction Gang Camp works wonders for the kids that get to attend. They have fun. The get to have dreams realized. Kyle and Patty and Richard are hands on, and many Nascar drivers donate not only money, but their time to the camp. It's all about helping kids with sometimes terminal illnesses, folks. Sometimes, this experience is a highlight of a young child's life. Tiredawg has offered to donate his considerable talent to help fund this wonderful organization, and I think we all need to get behind the Dawg and help him in his endeavors. Tiredawg is a husband and a father with his own children, plus some very photogenic pets, and he's a good friend to all of us that read the Dale Jr. Pit Stop. Tiredawg did a great job on this car, and he's willing to donate his time and money made to a wonderful cause, and I hope you will join me in supporting him.
Tiredawg's auction link is Here. Bid early, bid often, and remember that your money will go to a very worthy cause. To see more of the Dawg's great work, please click Here.
Friends, please do what you can to support Tiredawg in this endeavor. He works hard, and he manages to create great one off diecasts, and he's willing to donate his time and money to the VJGC. Please help to support a guy who is doing the Lord's work. In my opinion, he's a true saint, and he deserves all our support.
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