“So what do I do with a loooooonnng weekend with no race?

Tear the place apart and make it (hopefully) bigger and better. Actually I blame you (twice), you, you and you for all setting up new sites and/or designs.

I’ve been wanting to incorporate more of a website feel into the blog. I’ve been busy coding the addition of the Fantasy NASCAR Database. Plus, working on various little PHP / MySQL scripts for random quotes, Top 10 in points and the upcoming NASCAR Trivia machine.

I hope this design sticks for a while. Nobody else touch their sites ok? Thanks.”

“Remember back in March, April & May how we were watching race 3, 9 or even 12 of 36?

Felt like summer vacation did when I was a kid. When summer vacation was a ‘vacation’, not the short respite today’s kids get. The 2005 NASCAR season was still fresh. Reaching race 36 of 36 seemed blissfully an eternity away.

All good things…

So, I found myself not speeding through all the commercials (love my DVR) during Sunday’s race in Homestead. I knew it was the last time to see the 30-something women oogle Kasey Kahne and knock down the pole. I lamented the end of a racing era that included Rusty and Ricky. And, I fantasized it just might be Bill Weber’s last broadcast.

I didn’t cry. But the race held emotion.

Carl Edwards was just 12 points away from Tony Stewart at one point. How crazy is that? Both Johnson & Stewart missed some close calls. Johnson (despite actually finishing the season in 5th) seems like the new NASCAR bridesmaid.

Congrats to Tony on a deserved championship. He wasn’t who I was rooting for, but I was satisfied nonetheless.

There are alot of things in the works for the ‘off-season’ around here. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and we keep talking racing all the way until February.

PS. Was Scott Stapp’s rendition of the National Anthem horrid or what? I used to love Creed. Jeesh, what a joke he was.”

“I’m developing a Fantasy NASCAR statistics database. I’m a statistics junkie that loves stats inside out and upside down.

My database has the 2004 & 2005 NASCAR Cup statistics thus far.

I’m trying to make it easy, intuitive and unique from any other NASCAR database. I don’t have all the different ways I intend to let you explore the stats active yet.

If everyone would try it out and PLEASE give me some feedback:

• What you find valuable and what you don’t
• How the stats could be better presented
• What queries you would like to have in addition to or in place of what is there
• Any suggestions on clarifying the descriptions of what each link does
• ANYTHING ELSE you can think of or want to toss in the mix

Just plop your comments in this post.

Thanks.”

“The new #21 that Kenny Schrader will be driving for the Wood brothers is sweet looking. Little Debbie Snacks is coming onboard to sponsor the car for 19 races in 2006.

The #21 Ford Fusion will also carry Motorcraft and the U.S. Air Force as rotating primary sponsors during the remaining runs.

A sweet ride

Bram Hume, the purveyor of ‘the insider racing scoop’, aka ‘The Scotsman’, has a great interview with Kenny Schrader. He ran it a few weeks ago on his old site. If you don’t already read Bram’s blog or haven’t been to his new location…check him out.”

“After a long day on the interstates, highways and rural streets of the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex, there are few better ways to decompress from rude drivers, bumper-to-bumper traffic and general city mayhem then to wind it up to 190 mph and bang up some sheetmetal.

I’m a NASCAR Thunder 2004 fanatic. Amongst everything I need and want to do in a day, I usually find time to fire up the PS2 and go-fast-turn-left with my NASCAR alter ego Jimmy Fenley.

I tried out the NASCAR Thunder 2005 when it came out, but wasn’t so impressed to lay down the $50.00 for it. I’m intrigued by NASCAR Thunder 2006, but have yet to look into it. Any thoughts from anyone?

Anyways, I added a link on the sidebar to a new page with my car set-ups for each of the tracks. I’ve never found any good, reasonable and realistic set-ups online. Until now.”

Summary:

Word is out that Morgan-McClure Motorsports has said “out with Mike Wallace and in with Todd Bodine” for the final race of the 2005 season. Their actual quote is “Todd is coming off two wins in a row in the Craftsman Truck Series and has the momentum we feel will help our Lucas Oil team be competitive at Homestead. We appreciate Todd stepping in to be a part of our effort this weekend.”

My Take:

Todd’s success and peer-respect wasn’t very high in the 2002 NASCAR Cup season. Being the emotional sap that I am, I took the lone position of sympathy for him among my racing buddies.

While Richard Childress was throwing zingers like, “Todd does something stupid every week. That’s about the eighth car he has totaled for my team this year.”

And, Jeff Burton was hurling accusations of, “we were just racing, but the guy (Bodine) slammed into the side of me when he hit the grass.”

I was right there sticking up with whatever excuses I could muster. Like Todd, I was saying, “it’s just a racing deal.”

I’ve been happy to see Todd do well in the CTS. I think he is a talented racer. Hopefully he’ll get the chance this weekend to repair his reputation with the Cup boys.

Update: Todd won the Craftsman Truck Series race last night at Homestead-Miami. He’s on a roll. I hope I’m not going to have to muster up excuses after Sunday’s Cup race.

Update #2: Well, Todd finished the race in 20th. Not too bad. Mike Wallace had a season average finish of 27.9 in the #4.”

Summary:

Kurt Busch gets pulled over in Phoenix for running a stop sign and reckless driving. Officer smells alcohol. Kurt refuses a field sobriety test. He is verbally abusive.

They take him to Phoenix International Raceway and the Breath Test machine fails. Busch is given a ticket for reckless driving. Come Sunday he is no longer employed with Roush Racing.

My Take:

I’m not sure I’m buying the not-alcohol-related spin that Busch is putting on this. Obviously, I have no way of really knowing. But, as a NASCAR fan who ’sits on his couch pointing fingers’ at NASCAR drivers, I’m all about speculation.

I think that money (well, maybe influence and pressure) saved Busch from more than a reckless driving ticket. Maybe it was borderline. Maybe they cut him some slack. But the Breath Test Machine failed? Right. And why is Penske talking about going back and helping the community (service) out?

And what about his release from Roush? The Cat-In-The-Hat shows his mean side. Roush letting Kurt go was a personal vindication against Busch for going to the #2. Being able to air comments like ‘He is not our problem any longer’ is mean spirited and I guess part of the business of ‘Big Business’. Of course, Jack is still grouchy over the whole team driver cap thing.

So, how about a show of hands.

What do you think?

Alcohol related?

Is this ‘just’ vindication for Roush?

More stuff to consider… Marc of Full Throttle (the smartest guy in NASCAR blogging) has a good write-up, discussion and points to 2 interesting articles on the the local’s opinion of “Sheriff Joe”.

Even more to consider… Darn, I hate when I go and jump to conclusions only to be proven wrong. A little slow in coming is the fact that Kurt Busch wasn’t intoxicated. I guess that we may never know if Kurt is a ‘mean drunk’. Turns out he is just a ‘mean buzzed’.”

Summary:

I’ve been working on what I’m humbly calling “The Ultimate Fantasy NASCAR Database. I’ve just finished entering the results for 2005. The number of different drivers that competed in the 34 races this season is 85.

My Take:

I’m anal about stats. I love ‘em. I would never have guessed there were that many different drivers that made it into the race field during the year.

I guess you could look at the number as negative. How many drivers lost a ride during 2005? And sure, there were many Busch drivers (‘Cupwhackers’?) that competed as well.

But, I think it’s an encouraging number. It’s great to see so many drivers are getting (and taking) their chance on a dream. Nextel Cup is the acme of stock car racing. With the focus so much on the ‘Chasers’ and the delivery, beer & paint guys, it’s cool to know that other racers are getting a shot as well.”

Summary:

Bobby Labonte joins Petty Enterprises to race the #43 car for 2006.

My Take:

Pure excitement.

This ‘Silly Season’ switch brings the most anticipation for next year yet. Here’s hoping Bobby does well and is happy at Petty.”

Just as no one wants to admit their kids are ugly, I’ll never admit that Texas Motor Speedway shouldn’t have 2 races.

But, between you and me, that race Sunday was one heck of a sleeper. Don’t tell anybody, but the wife and I left with 80 laps to go. Yeah. Can you believe it? I felt like a disgrace. I made it home in 15 minutes. No waiting. No traffic. I was at home, on my bed, watching the last 40 laps.

We put the radio broadcast on in the car. It was funny because we both were like, “They sure are making it sound exciting.”

I will always be thankful for the two race dates. But, I wish Bruton Smith had built us a Bristol, Richmond or Rockingham.”