Halloween Hell

Trixie radioed...
Before I begin I would like to wish all my readers a very Happy Halloween. Hope you got lots of treats and no tricks!

Postman and I went into one of the local McDonalds this evening to grab a bite to eat before heading home from doing our laundry. We decided to go in and eat, but all that changed when I saw the two hellions having a spit wad fight. WTF!!! I didn't get the memo about the spit wad fight. If I had known I wouldn't have come armed.

That's right my fellow bloggers, these two little male hellions were having a spit wad fight in McDonalds. They were running all over the place. When the nice lady who took our order asked, "Will this be for here or to go, I quickly answered "To Go". I scanned the place for the parentals hoping they would tell their boys to stop what they were doing, but no such luck. I thought it might have been the lady with the daugther dressed as princess. Nope. And I definitely knew it wasn't the nice looking family sitting quietly with their 3 children who were behaving how children should behave in public. As they were getting to leave the two hellions nearly took out the oldest daughter dressed in her 50s attire. And that's when one of the adults that were escorting the two hellions spoke up and I quote, "You two need to slow down or you will run into somebody."

That's right. Not stop what you are doing or you will get it. Or stop, sit down, and behave. Nope the father like person, said, "you two need to slow down or you will run into somebody."

Now my parents did a pretty decent job in raising me. I knew my boundaries and what would happen if I crossed those boundaries. If I had been doing what the two hellions were doing, well...let's just say there would have been some serious hand to butt communication going on in that McDonalds.

I will be leaving for TMS tomorrow evening for fun in the sun and lots and lots of NASCAR! I am going to gry to get Elliott Sadler's autograph on Thursday as well as some others. I will probably try to hang out at the Speed stage to see Trackside as well as Race Day. I want one of those orange construction hats. I will buy lots of souvenirs and bring home free crap that I don't need, but hey it's FREE! I love the smell of racing fuel in the morning. I don't know if I will be able to post anything to the Park since I won't have access to the internet, but I may be able to connect to a wireless system or perhaps Ms. H. would let me use her internet. If not I will be back Monday to regale everyone with photos.

Have a great weekend!

Atlanta on Fire...Well, More Like Smokin'

Trixie radioed...

Atlanta was very kind to Mr. Stewart this weekend.

First he wins the IROC Championship. So does this mean we will get to see the IROC on dirt at Eldora next year??? As we know Tony said he would give back the cool million he won if they would have an IROC race on dirt at Eldora. Should definitely make for some interesting racing.

Second, Tony won the Bass Pro Shops 500 yesterday in Atlanta, Georgia. I was very excited for him. I am hoping he has that kind of weekend in Texas. Did you get a look at the trophy??? How awesome!!! He definitely took a lot of hardware home this weekend. Hope they had room in the hauler for this trophy!

Debris Gate--What was the deal with the "debris" coming from Robby Gordon's car? Did Robby throw out the debris to cause a caution? Or did it come from under his car? The replay to me wasn't conclusive. I did however love the how NBC's Dave Burns went to find Robby to see where the mysterious roll bar foam padding came from. It felt like one of those investigative pieces you see on 20/20 or 60 minutes. They caught him on the side of his hauler and had the bright light shining in his face. He was definitely sporting that "deer in the headlights" look. How appropriate at the Pro Bass Shops 500. Jeff B. was pissed is all I have to say. That's the best way to describe it. And you know what, I don't blame him.

To see Kasey interviewed after his meet and greet with Stremme. Note to Stremme...Kasey was taking responsibility for the crash you bonehead. Just go back to your hauler and have a cold one courtesy of your sponsor.

Congrats to Matty! You are still leading the Chase right now with only 3 races left--Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead. I hate the fact that Princess has managed to race his way back into contention. I have never said the boy couldn't race, but damn I don't want him to win.

Now for the "You Got Screwed" portion of my post. Once again Mark Martin got screwed. In ended up in a late race meet and greet. It sucks because I really wanted Mark to win yesterday. I think he would have been in contention for the championship, but I don't see that happening unless the NASCAR gods look down upon "The Crazy Old Man" and sprinkle him with the fairy dust. But as we have seen lately, stranger things have happened. Go luck in Texas Mr. Martin! I know I will be cheering you on!

One final note...I would like to to say thanks to Snowflake, Mr. Lug Nut, and the fellas in the Peanut Gallery (and you know who you are) for helping me yesterday with my class project. If yesterday was any indication of my directorial debut, I will keep my day job. You know how actors can be and I certainly had a couple of them yesterday--he he. I guess that's what I get for hiring non-union workers. Wait until I get to the editing room.

That's it from The Park today...

Rudy

Trixie radioed...

It's Saturday in Ocotober and we all know what that means...college football. Later today my RED RAIDERS will battle the #5 Longhorns.

While surfing across the cable channels this morning, I came across one of my favorite sport movies. I would have to say it runs a distant second to my all time favorite Hoosiers, but a great movie in my opinion. What movie you might say? That would be "Rudy".

How can one not like the story. Here is this guy who wanted to play football for Notre Dame. He found a way to live his dream. We should all be so lucky. My favorite scene??? When his teammates go into Coach Devine's office and place their jerseys on the desk and asking their coach to let Rudy play in their place. It brings tears to my eyes every time. And of course how can you forget his teammates beginning the chant, "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy" and the next thing you know the whole stadium is chanting his name. Then his teammates assure that Rudy will get to play in the game. And there you have it folks, Rudy gets in the game and makes a tackle! Awesome movie! We should all be so lucky to have people who think that highly of you.

I guess I need to see an inspirational story today. I haven't seen much inspiration lately so maybe this will get me out of my funk. I am hoping a trip to TMS next weekend will revitalize things. I am in the midst of a personal dilemma and either way I will probably come out looking like the bad person. A friend is in town this weekend and I am hoping just visiting with about my dilemma will help. He sometimes has an insight on things that I just can't explain.

Have a great weekend...good luck to all my football teams and of course My Boys in Atlanta. Tony is going for the IROC championship today in Atlanta. I am hoping he will pull it off. As a Tony fan, this would help ease the pain of Tony not making the Chase.

UPDATE...Tony won the IROC championship today! I love his sticker "Eldora or Bust". I would love to see the IROC cars race on dirt. How cool would that be? Mark should have gotten out of his IROC car and beat on Ryan N. Lot of bumping goin' on and three wide racin'. Congratulations to Martin Truex for winning the race.

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On Head

Trixie radioed...

Qualifying was rained out today.



Don't forget the final IROC race will be held tomorrow. I would love to see Tony win the IROC championship. But of course this will all depend on the mood of mother nature. Sometimes she can be such a bitch.

Well, I haven't wrecked the old SUV. The last two times I was slated to attend the races at TMS, I have managed to wreck the SUV. It usually occurs about 10 days before we leave for the race weekend. Last November some yahoo decides to run a stop sign and t-bone my SUV and he didn't even stop--bastage. This past April, I side swiped someone. She was in my blind spot so that one unfortunately was my fault. Well...so far so good. We leave on Wednesday so I think I am in the safety zone. I had a close call this morning at the Starbucks, but other than I am ok. Of course those little cows (or UT Longhorns) are in town so here's hopin'.

The Cows Are In Town

Trixie radioed...

That's right folks the cows are coming to town this weekend. Who are these cows? Well..most people known them as the Univerity of Texas Longhorns.

My Red Raiders will be hosting the #5 Longhorns at Jones A&T Stadium Saturday night. For those who want to cheer for my Raiders can catch the game on TBS beginning at 6:00 Texas time or 7:00 EST.

Tech is coming off it's victory over Iowa State last week while Texas pulled one out of the little cow hiney to beat Nebraska last week.

Like A&M, Texas is one of our biggest rivals. We have students right now as I type sitting outside the stadium waiting to get their seat for Saturday night's game. Let me set the current conditions...it is very cold and windy. It it is in the 40s with a gusty wind thus making it feel like it is in the 30s. Students have already paid for their football admit via a sports fee with their tuition. Not all students will be guranteed a spot in the student section. As an alum it is wonderful to see this kind of passion about our football team. I can't remember this kind of dedication when I was an undergrad even for a Texas game. (Perhaps I had a few too many back in the day...memory comes and goes). Well, if there was... the local media didn't cover the story. This game is a SELL-OUT! So I will be delegated to watching the game at home or a local establishment.

Of course I can't get away from the fact that it is still NASCAR season and the Boys are in Atlanta this weekend. I am still not sure who will be champion at the end of the season. It is the weekend before Halloween and strange doings have been going on over the past few races. So we can probably expect more before all the Smoke clears. I am still hoping Jeff Burton will win the darn thing. If not than anyone else will be fine with me, except for those HMS fellas. I leave for TMS on Wednesday!!!! I am so excited I just can't contain myself! I just love the smell of racing fuel in the morning!

Good luck to my Red Raiders, my Boys in Atlanta, and I guess the Cowboys. Who knows what will happen on Sunday??? It's been a crap shoot lately with the Cowboys...too much for this Cowboys fan to handle at the moment. I have my own little soap opera/drama to contend with.

GUNS UP RED RAIDERS!!!

Blogosphere

Trixie radioed...

I started "The Park" about a year and half ago and it has taken a life of it's own. I have meet some some great people throughout my tenure. Once again I have encountered another site that has been added to "The Park".

Check it out...Dale Jarrett's son, Jason Jarrett, has entered the blogospher with his own blog entitled Full Throttle Living. I think it will be interesting to read his entries. So if you get a chance hop on over and take a gander.

Update...I am feeling much, much better. It is amazing how three days of doing absolutely nothing (as well as prescription drugs) can help me fell better. This stuff should be gone by next Wednesday when I head at to Texas Motor Speedway. If not...I am still going.

That's all for The Park today...

Worth the Effort???

Trixie radioed...

I was such a bad NASCAR fan today. I was pretty much preoccupied with my homework due tomorrow that I wasn't watching much of the race. For one I was using software to create my projects that I had never used so I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure it out. But I watched enough to know the following...

Jimmie Johnson won. That was enough to wonder what the heck was I watching the race for if this was how it was going to turn out.

Jeff Burton had engine trouble and lost the lead in the Chase.

The only bright spot for me at least Tony had a good day. He finished 4th. And how 'bout that Texas boy Bobby Labonte finishing 3rd today!

Matt K. is now the points leader. This Chase I believe will come down to Homestead. It's too close to call a winner at this point of the Chase. Everyting can turn on dime in an instant.

Next week...the boys head down to Atlanta...and then over to Texas!!!! I can't wait!!!!

Update...went to the urget care clinic (not always know for the urgent part) to have them check me out. The congestion in my ears and nose, the dry cough, and the overall "i feel like shit" feeling overpowered me this morning. The doctor said I have an upper respiratory infection. That's ok however, I NOW have some really good drugs in which to beat this stuff. I have to be well for my trip to Texas. But of course as anyone who knows me--a nasty upper respiratory infection WILL NOT, I repeat WILL NOT keep me from seeing "My Boys" in Texas.

That's all from the Park for now...

Home Sweet Home

Trixie radioed...

I arrived back home this evening safe and sound. In tow from my trip, several souvenir items, lots of ideas for my office, and a FREAKIN' NASTY CAN'T FUNCTION COLD!

That's right I went all the way to Indianapolis and came home with a cold. I am not talking a little bitty cold. This cold comes equipped with a raging sore throat, stuffed up nosed, aching head, and a fever. There must of been some kind of fever because I was out in the 40 degree weather this morning and I wasn't cold. I missed a few sessions of my conference because of this pesky cold. But the worst part of this cold...flying back home. It's bad enough when one flies that your ears pop throughout the flight, but when you have a cold and your ears are stuffy, it makes it even worse (kind of like someone poking it with an ice pick). I almost broke out in girlie tears because it hurt so bad. Other than that I had fun.

I have to give major props to the Marriott Downtown in Indianapolis. After getting there two hours late (see explanation below), they told us there was a "problem" with are reservation. I wasn't in the mood to deal with this little bit of information. I was cranky and very, very tired. I was already two hours late getting in to Indy and now you are telling me I won't have my room. Apparently the people who had our room didn't check out in time and then extended their stay...this meant our room was not available or any other room until Thursday morning. At this point I was willing to sleep on the couch in the lobby. However, they sent us to another hotel, complimentary of course, they even paid for our taxi fare for us. Once everything was taken care the next morning, I came back to the room to find a card apologizing for the mixup and inconvenience. They also left two bottles of water, a $5 coupon for Starbucks and the Gift Shop. And we had access to the Concierge Level, plus the room was upgraded. Pretty cool beans. Thank you! Of course...I can't say I feel the same way about American Airlines.

I will say that I am not a fan of American Airlines. I was given horrible customer service about 10 years and vowed not to fly American again. Unfortunately I flew American last year to Orlando and just recently to Indianapolis. We finally get to Dallas on Wednesday and find that our flight will be delayed due to mechanical issues. Our plane would be taken out of service and thus we had to wait for another one. Now this was the only praise I will shower AA. I have issues with planes with mechancial issues. My flight was supposed to leave at 5 and arrive in Indy at 8 (gain on hour by the way). We didn't leave DFW until 8 and arrived in Indy at 11. The flight attendants on all the flights (both to and from Indy) were not friendly at all. I've had better customer service at McDonalds. On the way back from Indy to Dallas, I didn't even get my free drink. Bastages!!! People always ask me why I like Southwest Airlines. I tell them you get pretty good flight deals, the SWA employees are pleasant and seem to enjoy their job. And even when there is a delay they try their best to get you out at a decent time. I have only had one unpleasant experience with SWA, but it wasn't with SWA, but with the weather. As they say...you have a choice when you fly...and my choice is Southwest Airlines.

Oh...forgot...while shopping in the Indy Speedway Gift Shop at the Indy airport. I didn't see any TS stuff...not one thing. But they sure did have quite a few items with Gordo's picture. WTF????

With that out of the way...I did manage to see Big Busch is sitting on the pole for tomorrow's race.

Good luck to all "My Boys"!

Indy Bound

Trixie radioed...

I will be heading to Indianapolis home of the Colts, Peyton Manning, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a professional conference. It is unfortunate that I will travel all that and NOT be able to take in a tour at the Indiapolis Motor Speedway Museum or make a side trip to Columbus for a milkshake at the Dairy Queen. However, he won't be in his hometown since the boys will be in Virginia this weekend.

I do have relatives that live in Ohio, perhaps I could plan a vacation around the Prelude at Eldora as well as visitng my relatives. Oh yea, since the trip will call for me to be in Ohio, I guess I could make side trip to Canton to visit that other sports Hall of Fame. I mean it's the least I could do for Postman.

One more thing...TMS Weekend begins for me in 2 weeks! Did you hear that...14 days! I am so excited! Even though "my boys" aren't chasing, I will still be there cheering them on!

I don't know if I will have access to the internet, but I am taking my laptop with me just in case. If not, this post will have to last until the weekend! Have a great weekend everyone!

That's all from the Park for now....Trixie

Burton...Ward Burton

Trixie radioed...

Ward Burton will be racing at Martinsville this Sunday after a two year absence. He will be driving the #4 Chevrolet for Morgan-McClure Motorsports. Could this be a sign for those of you out there who are Ward Burton fans? I for one would like to see Ward back on the track. Some of these newbie drivers need to get some lessons from the vets on how to do things. (That discussion is for another time.)

Oh..did anyone catch Wind Tunnel last night? Well, if not, Mr. Tony Stewart was co-hosting. The first caller definitely wasn't a Stewart fan...he was definitely a Gordo fan cause he was whining. Dave asked about the Yeley incident. Tony said he made a mistake plain and simple. "Go ahead caller...you're on the air...hi Tony...it's JJ "knocked out one of the most revered drivers in NASCAR out of his shot at a Championship" Yeley. Well, that's not how the intro went, but you get the picture.

Program note to that Gordo fan who called in...your whiney ass driver will be co hosting next week. Maybe I will call in and ask him where he wants his box of kleenexes and cheese sent.

That's all that is to report from the Park today...

Down Lowe

Trixie radioed...

Congratulations to Kasey Kahne on last night's victory. You swept the races this season at Lowes. I thankful for that fact because I for one am tired of hearing about Jimmie's House.

For some reason I was in the mood for the race last night. I don't know why that is. I guess for one Tony is not in the Chase and so my enthusiasm is less than normal. At first I thought it was going to be a long night with the early crashes, but things calmed down a little bit for everyone. Mark Martin looked like he was going to have a good run and then BAM! He's going head first into the wall. Thank god for safer barriers. That was a nasty crash. I was anxious to see Mark's post crash interview about what happened. Now I know why so many people respect Mark. I know he was upset about what happened, but he was respectful. He didn't whine like some of those other drivers. He is a class act. He loves the fans and he is still having fun! What the hell was Jack Roush thinking? I know you have to build towards the future, but come Jack, get a clue. I am glad Mark is going to a place that wants him! You rock Mark!

Well, Tony had a horrible night. What the hell was going on? I hope this doesn't happen at Texas. It will suck for me if he does. Elliott lost an engine. I am not sure what the hell happened there either. So for me, the night pretty much sucked.

One good note...Gordo blew an engine and it is his third DNF in a row. I guess you will have to try next year for that fifth title huh Gordo.

I think this is Jeff Burton's championship to lose at the midway point. I believe if he continues his consistant finishes he will be crowned the 2006 Nextel Cup Champion at Homestead.

On to Martinsville for Race #6.

Doh!

Trixie radioed...

In true Homer Simpson fashion, can I say DOH! Confusion ran amok last night towards the end.

Of course I thought the race would end with Carl and Casey battling for the win in which they did...two words sychronized spinning.


Then it was Matt K. and Dave Blaney battling for the win. I thought Matty would take Dave, but Matty's car got loose and spun.

Congratulations to Mr. Blaney for his first Busch win. Loved his sponsor Hass Avacados.

I would also like to congratulate KevIn Harvick on winning his 2nd Busch Series Championship.

With all of that said...he's my only gripe.

I know Kevin won his championship last night, but I really wanted to see the victory lane celebration by Dave Blaney and his posse first and then Kevin's interview and trophy presentation. That's what I have noticed lately with the race coverage. I know we are deep in the chase and we want to know how the Chasers are doing, but there are 34 other drivers on the track including one of my drivers Elliott Sadler. There are some really good drivers who aren't in the Chase and I personally would like to hear about them. I am tired of hearing about the HMS boys, blah, blah, blah. I guess that's the nature of the beast.

Tonight's the Cup race. Let's hope we have no DOH moments!

#6 AAA Ford Fusion

Trixie radioed...

Roush has chosen David Ragan to replace Mark Martin in the #6 AAA Ford Fusion beginning 2007. After 19 years with Roush Racing, Mark is heading over to MB2 Motorsports to race a part time schedule next year. Davd and Mark currently share driving duties in the #6 F-150 in the Truck series. Congratulations to David. You have some big shoes to fill in the #6.

I know the buzz this week is probably still the whole "paybacks are a bitch" story, but this one is still weighing on my mind. I am still unneverved that AFTER 19 years Mark Martin is leaving Roush Racing. Postman is certainly not too thrilled by it either. He doesn't say much, other than "I guess I will have to get all new stuff". I can relate to him some since Candyman switched teams midstream. I was just starting to get my Elliott collection going. I'm sure both Roush and Mark did their best to keep their relationship going, but as we all know with relationships sometimes it's just best to cut your losses and walk away.

Thank you UPS for delivering my brand spankin' new #19 Elliott Sadler t-shirt on Monday! I am now officially ready for TMS in November!

Did anyone watch Inside Nextel Cup on Speed on Monday? I did and let me tell you it was interesting. Both Schrader and Waltrip were getting their digs in about the race on Sunday. There were times I felt sorry for Vickers. Brian took it like a man in my opinion. I know they were giving him a hard time because I guess that's what guys do, but don't completely throw him under the bus. And then of course there was Mr. DeSpain trying to play referee. It was very entertaining is all I have to say.

So...this week at Lowe's will be interesting. They will have extra security for Mr. Vickers. Is this from the fans or his "teammates"?

Ponder this...as brought up in a conversation this week with a fellow NASCAR fan. Not trying to start anything just curious...
Scenario....
Jimmie is leading the race.
Junior and Truex are running 2nd and 3rd respectively
Junior pulls out bringing Truex with him
Truex clips Junior's bumper
Junior gets turned into Johnson and crashes both of them
Truex wins
How would Earnhardt Nation react?

Just something to chew on....

Have a good one...that's all from the Park today!

MRI

Trixie radioed...

MRI--no it's not some racing team that I am part of, but it does sound kind of like one. No it stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. It is a a method used to visualize the inside of living organisms as well as to detect the composition of geological structures. It is primarily used to demonstrate pathological or other physiological alterations of living tissues and is a commonly used form of medical imaging.

I knew with my fear of closed in spaces this was going to be tough for me. I don't even like to be in an elevator with 5 or more people. Even the crowds at a NASCAR race freak me out, but I endure.

I was in scrubs (i am going to go out and by some..very comfortable clothes--screw sweat pants) so that relaxed me a little. I went in head first. So far so good. I had ear plugs. The nice lady nurse told me to get comfortable because I had to lay still for at least 20 minutes maybe 30 at the most. Then I had to place my arms above my head. And gave me that "PANIC BUTTON" just in case. Then came the moment of dread for me...THE TUNNEL. I knew I would need to keep my eyes closed but I opened them once and told myself--"Dumbass shut your freakin' eyes!" If you want to get through this painful experience keep your freakin' eyes shut and focus on your happy place. I won't share where I went during this time or who was there with me, but it was definitely helping. Breathing deeply helped as well.

I would occassionly hear "The Voice" asking if I am OK and how long the set of pictures would take. He sounded very cute, but when you are in a tunnel lying very still, any man's voice will sound cute. I just imagined that Tony was on the other side of that voice. (Hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do). The last round of photos would last 4 minutes. Granted 4 minutes isn't a long time, but when you laying very still in a small confined space it seemed like 4 hours. The only other little annoying part about this experience was the noise the machine made during the whole imaging process. Sometimes it sounded like the intro to dance music I used to hear in the clubs. Had a good beat and rhythm, but I was waiting for the rest of the song to play and the disco lights to start.

All in all I survived this latest round of tests.

Can't We All Just Get Along

Trixie radioed...

I am not sure how to react to the ending of today's race. There were a lot of things that went on at the end of the race. I was upset that Tony got mixed up in someone else's mess towards the end of the race. I was happy to see old Gordo get mixed up in the "big one". As in traditional Gordo style, he whined about the bump drafting and how NASCAR wasn't watching it..blah..blah..blah.

After the last caution, it was all up to Earnhardt. He took command of the final 10 laps. It looked like Earnhardt was going to win today, but that wasn't the case. I really thought Johnson was going to make a move on Earnhardt. I mean a victory for Johnson would have helped his championship hopes. I think he waited too late to make his move on Earnhardt. When Johnson finally got off the pot his "teammate" Vickers went with him. That's when all HELL broke loose. Vickers caught the back end of the #48 and turned Jimmie into Earnhardt. I was cheering that Johnson was wrecked, but DAMN did it have to take Earnhardt out too. It took a few minutes to sort out all the mess. The only thing I know is Earnhardt didn't win.

I know Brian wanted to win for HMS before moving to his new team next year. I think he wanted to win for Ricky. There was probably a lot on his mind, but I just don't know. One the one hand I can see his frustrations with his current employer. It has been reported Brian has not been allowed to team meetings for the last two weeks. If this is true, that's just wrong. I know Brian is moving on, but he is still a valuable employee. I know Gordo got mad at him a few weeks ago for racing him hard. Gordo thought Brian should have let him by because after all Gordo is racing for a championship. I can understand if Vickers was slower than Gordo, but Vickers had a good car that day. But that is another topic. I think Vickers was trying to be a good teammate by going with Johnson around Earnhardt. After all two cars are faster than one in a draft. I don't think Brian hit Johnson on purpose. I think it is just one of those racing things. I know this may upset some of the Earnhardt fans out there, but it's just my opinion.

Brian did get his first NASCAR Cup victory today. Congratulations.

Other than what happened at the end, today's race was very competitive. The first caution didn't come until Lap 72. There were several grooves for the drivers. The "big one" in my opinion was small compared to some of the others I have seen at Talladega.

Well...next week the boys on headed to Lowes for some Saturday night racing.

Another One for that Crazy Old Man

Trixie radioed...

It was the first time the Craftsman Trucks raced at Talladega and it turned out to be quite a finish.

I woke up (my back meds make me drowsy) and saw that Todd Bodine was being penalized for gaining position after going below that yellow line. He felt that Mark pushed him below the yellow line. From what I saw Mark was racing and he gave Todd room to come back up on the track to regain his spot. Of course that didn't happen. This is one these things that is open to interpretation by the NASCAR officials. If you go below the yellow line and you gain position, you are penalized. However, if you are forced down and you have no choice, the driver is not penalized. If you go below the yellow and you don't gain position and you go back to your line, no penalty. Now is that right? We all know how Dega can be. Sometimes it is difficult to see what really happens especially if the drivers are 3, 4, or 5 wide like the ending of today's truck race. It will be interesting to see how tomorrow's Cup race works out.

Well...Congratulations to that Crazy Old Man. I told Postman that if he wasn't here Mark would win and I was right. Did you hear that Postman??? I WAS RIGHT!!!! I am a little sad that Mark will not be racing the #6 truck next year for Roush. You could tell from the interview today after the race he LOVES driving that truck. What was Roush thinking? As I said yesterday, I sill think there is more to this story than we all can see. How can someone just let Mark go? Mark is one of those rare individuals that everyone wants to call a friend. He has tremendous respect from his fellow drivers and fans. I don't think I have ever heard an unkind word about Mark. I am sure there are people out there who don't like Mark as a driver, but I haven't met any. I for one will miss him in the #6 next year.

More news from Dega today...
Smaller restrictor plates for the boys to slow the speeds of the cars.

Kevin Harvick's primary sponsor will change to Shell Oil. His car will be yellow instead of the Earnhardtesque black.



Prior to the inaugural truck race at Dega was Cup qualifying. When I looked up to see who had the provisional pole I saw the #38 was first. That's right, Elliott's old ride was leading the pack at qualifying. Just to review, this is a newbie to Cup who took over the #38 midseason from Mr. Sadler. After all the smoke clears...he held on to win the pole today. And who will start next to him tomorrow??? Mr. Jarrett. The defending race winner from last year. Qualifying first and finishing first are two different things, but I have to give major props to Mr. Gilliland. Way to go rookie!

In other non-NASCAR news...after beating Texas A&M last week in great fashion, they lose tonight to Missouri 38-21. At least state pride was defended today. Texas beat Oklahoma 28-10.

Husband Free Weekend

Trixie radioed...

That's right folks. It will be another "Husband Free Weekend". I went to my mom's last weekend to celebrate her birthday and made a side trip to DFW area for some great deals on some NASCAR items. Bought an Elliott Sadler car (1.24 scale) for only $15.00. That's right...you read it right my people. These usually cost around $50-$60.

This weekend my husband will be heading to Houston for a Letter Carriers Union School. He leaves on Saturday and won't be back until Monday. Last time Postman went to his fall school his driver Mark Martin won. Will this happen this weekend?

My plans...absolutely nothing. I will not have to "fight" with Postman for the television. NASCAR will be on not the Cowboys game on Sunday. Sorry Postman. I can gurantee you Postman, if Tony or Elliott wins, YOU will know it!

In two weeks I will be headed to Indy and then two weeks after that TMS. Oh well...have a good Friday night!

Finally Mark has made a decision on his plans next season...he will be driving part time in the #01 car. This is just my observation, and my observation only...i don't want to start any kind of rumors or have Bob D. report on this, but what happened with Mark running trucks with Roush? I thought he was going to run a full season next year in the #6 truck. And then now...he isn't. Could there be more to all of this? Just to let you know, I love a good conspiracy. I just think there may be more to the story, but I could be wrong.

Oh well...it's Talladega and the name of the game is SURVIVAL. I would love to see either Tony or Elliott crossing that finish line. Good luck to my boys---Trixie's watchin'!

UPDATE...Congrats to Pablo Montoya for finishing 3rd in the ARCA race at 'Dega tonight. Not bad for his debut. Race was called due to darkness.


How cool would it be to race 'Dega under the lights? Just a thought...

My Aching Back

Trixie radioed...

I finally decided to see my doctor about my back. I have battled chronic back pain since I was 19 years old. When I was younger it didn't bother me so much, but now I needed to do something about it. I think the two car wrecks over the past year has just pushed my back to it's limit.

My doc thinks it may be hereditary. My dad has the same issues that I have. So...what has to be done? One..I have to get an MRI. I hate MRIs. I am just a little clastrophobic so I will definitely be focusing on my happy place. Second...I will have to go to physical therapy 3/week for a month at $40/each session. I have my first session next week. I am going to see if I get away with just two. I am going to Indianapolis in two weeks and TMS the first of November...need money for those all important souvenirs.

Oh...but he did give me something for the pain!

And on top of that...I have a slight case of laryngitis. I am NOT supposed to use my voice for 24 hours...if you know me that is like telling Tony he can't drive Sunday.

Here's hoping for less pain...

Got Gas?

Trixie radioed...

Apparently quite a few of them didn't...including race winner TONY STEWART. He coasted to the checkers today. It may not have been a pretty victory..but it is a VICTORY nonetheless.



Thanks for the push Denny!


I didn't get to see much of the race. I was one on the road coming back from Waco visiting my mom and second Postman took over the television watching that other sport, football.

Oh what shame for Princess Jimmie and Gordo. Need some Kleenex boys????

Standings after Race 3
1. Jeff Burton
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Mark Martin
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Kevin Harvick
6. Jeff Gordon
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8. Jimmie Johnson
9. Kyle Busch
10. Kasey Kahne

As I stated before the Chase started I thought Jeff Burton was the dark horse and you he is living up to my prediction.

Next week...Talladega baby!