|
| |
|
233. Busch Series offers a championship,
right? |
ID
#483037 |
|
Posted: 1-22-2007 @ 10:24 pm EST
|
|
Will anybody be running fulltime
in the Busch series? After listening to the
unending litany of drivers that would be sharing a
ride this season on the "A" circuit for NASCAR my
head was spinning. Why are the teams so anxious to
spread the seat time among team mates? It's odd,
if you ask me.
It also limits the field for potential champions.
If you only run half the races, you can't win the
series. Can it be that a series that broadcasts
all of its races on national television offers so
little to its competitors that nobody wants to
dedicate themselves to its success?
Well, I guess you can just start etching the
champs name on the trophy now...there won't be
anybody to stand in the way of the single
fulltimer in the field
Catch ya later!
|
|
232. A new Earnhardt enters the game... |
ID #482782 |
|
Posted: 1-21-2007 @ 6:52 pm EST
|
|
Kerry Earnhardt's son, Jeffrey
Earnhardt, has been signed by DEI for a
developmental deal. He will be participating in
the Busch Grand National East series this year
along with some other regional weekly racing
series. He's just 17. What will this bring? Time
will tell...
Andy Santerre will be providing the leadership
for the teen in the BGNE car, along with last
year's 2nd place finisher Sean Caisse. Andy
Santerre has years of experience in this
Northeast based league, as a driver and
champion. He brought his gritty competitive
nature with him last year (remember the baseball
bat in Matt Kobyluck's pit?) If anything, this
will provide attention to the other drivers in
this series.
Kyle Petty has been announced as the commentator
for TNT for the Cup races this season.
|
|
231. It's a game, isn't it? |
ID #482253 |
|
Posted: 1-18-2007 @ 5:44 pm EST
|
NASCAR
is trying to see how confused they can make me.
I’m sure of it. Last night while watching the
nightly update on SpeedTV I saw this little bit on
fuel cells. Crap! They’re changing the size! From
22 gallons to something like 17 and a bit gallons
(that’s as specific as Larry Mac wanted to get).
The teams have those engineers all hooked up to
laptops to figure out what that means. The pit
crews will know when to fill ‘er up. What about
me? I’m gonna be in the stands at Loudon wondering
just how far 17 and a bit gallons goes. You used
to be able to squeeze 105 laps out of a fuel run.
Then the gearing changed or the engine changed and
it became more like 96 laps on a prayer. Now what?
Oh, the angst!
I’m just not bright enough to figure these things
out on my own. 22 gallons has been the thing for
so long I know the fuel runs at most of the tracks
simply through years of osmosis.
Not only am I going to be stymied at the mass of
unfamiliar numbers, sponsors, drivers etc. that
attacks me every spring, I’m gonna be
strategically challenged as well…
What is the world coming to?
Catch ya later!
|
|
230. Farewell, my friend |
ID #481768 |
|
Posted: 1-16-2007 @ 1:09 pm EST
|
Benny
Parsons passed away today after battling lung cancer, a great loss to the NASCAR
community.
To me? It is the loss of my childhood where the sport is
concerned. Benny’s laugh, sweet southern drawl and insightful knowledge drew me
into spending my weekends with the crew from Charlotte, N.C. There were jokes
about BBQ and bologna burgers. Serious words about sportsmanship. Benny stood as
an ambassador to America for his beloved sport.
When the major 3 networks (all based out of New York)
took up broadcasting the races, I missed the ever present sound of rural
America. Benny’s happy tones prevented me from slipping into complete
withdrawal. But perhaps the most notable part of Benny’s appeal is he wasn’t
commentating for the spotlight to shine on himself. He was there for the race.
His co-workers would always bring up the stat that would throw Benny back in the
limelight, but he just didn’t demand attention for his accomplishments.
Sundays will never be the same without you Benny. I’ll
miss you.
Bobby
Hamilton Sr., a winner in all three of the top
NASCAR series, passed away from complications from
neck cancer yesterday. He will be missed.
I watched him take the checkers in the Truck series
at Atlanta in 2004 in one of the most exciting races
I have ever witnessed. A hard hitting competitor,
but one of integrity and honesty.
A sad day for NASCAR.
|
|
228. Red Sox sign on with Rousch! |
ID
#479281 |
|
Posted: 1-5-2007 @ 4:10 pm EST |
|
|
A Boston
team getting involved with NASCAR? Is that possible?
We watched Red Sox CEO John Henry fly the green flag
at Stafford Springs two years ago after the Red Sox
accomplished the impossible (won the World Series).
So, yes, I suppose there is some kind of connection
there.
What does it mean for Rousch? After Mark Martin sold
out his portion of Rousch Racing last year, I wondered
just where Jack would find the cash to keep funding
his ever-growing stable. Sponsors should feel more
secure signing onto an organization that just received
a hefty $62 million dollar cash infusion.
I wonder where the Red Sox is getting all the money?
Granted baseball is not my bailiwick, but after
outbidding half the planet to obtain the already
legendary Dice-K from Japan I figured the slush fund
for the BoSox would’ve been emptied for the year.
What does this do to my allegiance? Jeff Gordon
belongs to Hendrick. But I’ve admired Carl Edwards
ever since he flipped off the back of his truck a few
years ago. And now I’m forced to deal with the fact
that my home team has a major interest in the most
influential stable on the NASCAR circuits. What is a
girl to do?
Will this new partnership affect the way Jack does
business? As a fan of the sport, I hope it means he
has an easier time catching long-term major sponsors.
Why Jack’s cars always sport a rotating mess of paint
schemes over the year bothers me a bit. Scatter the
eggs, yes, make sure that basket doesn’t overflow.
But, it looks funny from a fan’s point of view…
“Yes, I’d like to thank…who’s on the car this week?”
Even though Matt Kenseth tends to stick with the same
color scheme, I’m never really sure what company is on
the hood.
Then comes the question, why do I care about the color
of the car? It is what’s under the hood that’s
important.
Well, at the very least, I’ll be looking for a little
“B” somewhere on Jack’s cars. And yes, because of that
emblem I’ll be cheering, just a little, for the Rousch
cars. Although there’s a long way to go before I’ll be
jumping up and down on the couch egging Kenseth into
Victory Lane. It’s just not that rewarding
From deep in the Bay State…
Catch ya’ll later! (Like Monday! They test on Monday!)
|
|
227.
The future of a blog... |
ID #478164 |
|
Posted:
12-31-2006 @ 8:43 pm EST |
|
|
This
blogging thing, it's an intriguing thing. I began
blogging about NASCAR as it is my passion. Well, one of
my passions. The other is writing. The two seemed to go
well together.
Except what I write about (as in novels) tends to have
nothing to do with NASCAR. That world is full of kings,
queens, love, betrayal...you get the idea. I have
stepped purely into the world of fantasy.
Now, as my writing career continues to grow, I am now
faced with the very real challenge of self-promotion.
Many best-selling authors out there have blogs and they
swap recipes, ideas on how to decorate the kitchen, what
book they read this week... Bluntly, they speak to the
world of women. And these blogs are rather effective at
keeping them in touch with their readership.
Meanwhile, I have a readers of this blog (yes, I've
heard from you over the past few months regarding my
absence) who I'm sure are really not interested in the
last few chapters I wrote regarding who jilted who. But,
I have a hard time blending the world of NASCAR and
historical romance... What to do?
I think I shall attempt the impossible.
Big things are happening these days. Agents have
requested my material, I'm winning contests and NASCAR
is welcoming Toyota into the fold. A mountain of
information is coming this way! And I've got to manage
to balance this whole thing! ACK!
So...keep your eyes open. Things are gonna change. I'm
not saying lace will adorn the NOTES pages...but a few
frills are going to be seen.
Most of all...it's a New Year's Resolution to blog more
consistently. All the news may not be racing (how can
that be? The WORLD is NASCAR after all...) but the news
will be new.
Hope to see your friendly faces. I'll be updating my
mirror sites as well (The Queen's Domain and my website
http://sonyadgrady.com)
Later!
(The boys take to the track in only 8 more days...)
|
|
226.
The end of the season... |
ID #473026 |
|
Posted:
12-4-2006 @ 2:13 pm EST |
|
|
And the start
of something new
The amount of disinterest I held for The Chase this year
was rather, well...it was boring. Yes, Lil E and JG made
it in. But we knew they wouldn't win. Neither of them had
it on this year. Good, as always, just not WOW. Even the
Champ Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth put on a slightly
ho-hum show as they closed in on the final races. The
stories I wanted to watch (Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton)
while intriguing in their novelty, just didn't do it for
me.
Of course, the Saturday afternoon Cup Series that was the
weekly prelude to the Sunday Cup event did nothing to spur
my interest either.
Let's just say that I'm glad it's over. And there's so
much coming! 2007 is the season of interest. Toyota,
immigrants from the IRL series, veterans taking it
slow...leaving Mr. Gordon to look ever more like the elder
statesman. (Mike Waltrip will never earn that accolade).
The much debated Car of Tomorrow will take its bow. And
right now Goodyear is trying to stave off a very ugly
invasion by Hoosier. Goodyear might lose their contract if
they can't settle a strike with the Steel Workers Union
(it took me a moment to figure that out...until I
remembered steel belted radial tires..ah! Steel!)
On the local scenes...Mike Dillon won the BGNE series with
Sean Caisse giving him a run for the money. Sean is young
and very eager...too eager if you remember his debut in a
Busch car at Dover. Patience Grasshopper
It will come. However, fighting off the seasoned
new-comers to NASCAR from other top flight racing series
will be no easy task. The bar just went astronomically
higher.
Rousch...with Mark Martin stepping out and heading over to
the competition, who will lead the garage? Biffle? Kenseth?
Neither of them strike me as a spokesman for their fellow
drivers. Edwards...maybe. But who's gonna listen to him?
MacMurray? Nope. Also, the deal for selling half the team
to the Red Sox fell through when the head office decided
to bid for that ritzy Japanese pitcher. Things don't look
so good to me.
Hendrick...smart move inviting Casey Mears on over.
Well, that's all for now. No, I don't have comments about
drivers in tuxes. They don't belong in them. I'll try to
start blogging more consistently, but other endeavors have
distracted me, and as I said, there wasn't a whole lot to
be said again
Catch ya later!
|
|
