On the Pole

Congratulations on Dave Blaney for winning the pole at Louden this weekend. This gives Toyota their first pole of the season. However, I still feel Toyota will not get a win this year. It has been a rough year for the other automakers too except for the Chevy cars.

I just popped on to NASCAR.com and saw that Brian Vickers qualifying time is null and void because his car was too low during post qualifying inspection. That means his spot will go to Chad Chaffin.


I guess NASCAR isn't afraid to suspend drivers for using their vehicle as a weapon on the track. Ted Musgrave got a one race suspension for his actions last week in Milwaukee. I wonder if one of the Cup boys did what he did would they get a one race suspension? I don't know. It was obvious that Musgrave's actions were intentional, but look at the whole picture. I know there are those out there who love the truck series. I myself think it's some of the best racing out there. But do you really think NASCAR would have the spine to suspend one of the Cup boys for doing the same thing? Gut feeling no. I will admit I would be angry if Tony did the same thing and was suspended especially if it was intentional. I still don't defend his actions when he caused Matt K. to come across the grass and back onto the track at Daytona last year. Looking back on the post regarding this incident I wasn't very harsh on Tony. Matt and Tony could have been beating and banging, and yes I did put a little blame on Kenseth, but in the end I was upset that Tony did this. I am quick to defend Tony's actions because I am rabid Tony fan, but there are times I wish he would just keep his emotions under control. But it's those emotions and his passion for driving that attact me as a fan and keep me coming back for more.

I am looking forward to this weekend's race to see how the #24 and #48 cars will do without their crew chiefs. They will probably rise to the top as these two always seem to do. It's like I always tell Postman...they could fall in a big pile of cow crap and come out smelling like a rose.

Good Luck Tony!

Yada, Yada, Yada

What can I write about today? Penalties in NASCAR? Nope...it's kind of a moot point. I do have to say I am glad that HMS will not appeal the penalties.

What else is there to talk about around NASCAR nation? It seems pretty quiet right now. But you never know what the weekend will bring.

So what can I share with the Park? NBA draft? Nah...it's pro ball. I tend to watch college basketball. Congrats to Houston Astros Craig Biggio for reaching 3000 hits tonight. Way to go. You are a class act. You were very loyal in an era where loyalty goes only so far as the dollar sign.

Ah...I know...people who can't get over themselves. What is it about those kinds of people? They think they are all that when in reality that ain't worth the trouble. I am acquainted with one such person. I don't know how to keep it from getting to me. I have upset stomach and migraines that are triggered by the stress of dealing with this person. I have rallied the troops and tried to move on down the trail. For those of you out there in the blogosphere, perhaps you know what it's like to be around something like this. I all have to say to this person...RESPECT.

I have been accused of being a little selfish lately. Perhaps I have. I have at times given everything that I am to everyone else to the detriment of my own life. So I have decided to take a little rest and take care of me for a change. I make no apologies for it. I guess I am just tired of giving and giving and the one time I need the givin' to be flung my way...it's like crickets...chirp, chirp...nothing. So if I am a little off the radar to everyone it's by my own doing. Nothing's wrong. I just need some Trixie time. I have a lot to work through right now and I have to do by myself. I am at that proverbial fork in the road.

I love funny TV commercials. I love the Subaru commercial where the animals are calling "Ricky". I laugh every time I watch it. I guess the funny thing about it are the animals. My favorite??? The moose. Love the way he calls out to "Ricky".

I leave you with one final note...guilty pleasures. I have discovered quite a few TV shows this summer..."The Starter Wife", "Army Wives", "The Closer", and "Top Chef". I really like all of them. Plus I am trying to get through the 5th Harry Potter book "The Order of Phoenix" before I go see the movie this summer. I have a couple of weeks.

Well...I guess that's about it for Trixie's musings.

Road Race Hangover

Congratulations to Juan Pablo! I did not surprise me that Juan won. I mean he is a pretty good road racer. I really thought Robby Gordon would finally catch a break, but the best laid plans of mice and men.

I think Aric Almirola got a raw deal Saturday. He practiced and qualified the car, but yet can't finish the race as the driver. I don't think Denny really wanted to get in the car. It came down to a sponsor thing probably. Even though Aric is credited with the win. It still stings.

The truck race was interesting. I didn't watch all of it, but I did get to see the post crash meet and greet between Musgrave and CTS Rookie Kelly Bires. I loved Musgrave's comments. I was rolling on the floor.

Now on to the big news of this past weekend. I see penalities have been handed out to the HMS duo. Crew chiefs suspended for 6 races, drivers docked 100 points, owners docked 100 points, and everyone fined quite a bit of money. I have been listening to the media, commentators on both the cable networks as well as Sirius, and the NASCAR fans. I have heard all kinds of opinions on the subject so why not voice mine.

This is what I understand. NASCAR informed EVERYONE about the COT specifications and were told not to jack with them or suffer the consequences. That's the reason Tony Eury Jr. has taken a brief respite and fined from NASCAR. NASCAR is is trying to make a stand here in the sand. Prior to today's handing out of penalities, I thought NASCAR should at least give a minimum of 6 races suspended. Should it have been more? For Knaus, yes. This isn't the first time Mr. Knaus has dabbled in the gray area. I think repeat offenders should get a stiffer penalty. I don't know. Maybe there should be some "3 strikes" law like they have in the criminal justice system.

Here's my thinking...why does this modification have to take place on the #24 and #48 cars? They have been dominating the first part of the season. They are both top drivers on the circuit. That being said...I pose this. Is this the first time they have modified the COT? or this just the first time they were caught?

On to New Hampshire for the boys...let's see who will make news this week!

The Birthday Celebration continues

I would like to thank my co-workers who have come to "appreciate" my obesssion with NASCAR. Here is a picture of the cake the had for me.



They posted several pictures of Mr. Stewart on the wall next to the food table. There were even diecast cars on the table as decorations. There was only one faux pas....they had a Lowe's car there. Luckily it wasn't the #48 car or I would have had to take things into my own hands.

Well...that should be it for the birthday celebration this year.

On the way home I heard about Mr. Gordon and Mr. Johnson's "modificaitons". And I thought this week would be quiet with race news...

Cousin Carl and His Bearded Buddy

I just saw on NASCAR.com...Ella Sofia Gordon graced our world at 9 am this morning. Congratulations to Jeff and Ingrid!

Congratulations to Carl for his first win since November 2005 at Texas. I was at that race where he last won, plus it was at the same moment where I discovered I am not a fan of Cousin Carl. Coincidence??? I am glad his crew member will get to shave his beard. He was looking pretty scary.

Oh what a shame...Jimmie ran out of gas.

Yea Yea for JJ winning a pole.

I am so glad last week is over...I have to say I am tired of the whole Jr to Hendrick thing. Too much for me to digest. He left DEI to go to HMS. That's it for me. I am moving on to other things around the NASCAR circuit.

On to the road racing...not my favorite races of the season. I will probably have the race on in the background as I clean this weekend.

Good Luck Tony!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday To Me!
Happy Birthday To Me!
Happy Birthday To Trixie!
Happy Birthday To Me!

Movin' On Up

I am not surprised. From the day Dale announced he was leaving DEI, we all knew he wanted to go to a team that would help him win a championship. And here we are today...Dale will now become a member of Hendrick Motorsports starting with the 2008 season. I can't say I do not blame him. That's why Roger Clemens went to the Yankees the first time around. He too wanted to be on a team known for winning championships. If you want to be at the top of the mountain you have to be with those who will get you there. As someone who doesn't claim to be part of the Earnhardt nation, I feel I have somewhat of a different view of things. I have always believed Dale will win a championship and now he will have what he needs to get that accomplished. I know the Earnhardt nation will have to take some time to digest all of this. Dale wanted to be with a team that he feels comfortable with and I think he has found that place. He will have pressure on him to perform, but not like at DEI. He was the driving force at DEI and at HMS it is Jeff Gordon. I know Jimmie just won a championship, but bottom line Jeff is the top driver at HMS. I would hope all those Junior fans will stand behind and support their driver's decision. A true fan stays with a driver through the good times and bad. My gut tells me majority of his fans will stand behind him and support him on his decision, however there will be a few who will suddenly jump ship because of his decision. You don't have to like all of his teammates to support Jr. As mentioned before, I am a fan of Roger Clemens, but not the Yankees. I have been following his career since he pitched at (dare I mention it) the University of Texas. And I would like to think this would happen with all his fans.

I didn't get a chance to hear the press conference because I was the Ft. Worth Museum wandering through the Star Wars Exhibit, but I was able to hear some clips on Sirius. Rick Hendrick has the upmost respect for not only Dale Jr., but his entire family. Mr. Hendrick will do everything in his power to get Dale Jr. what he needs to win that championship he so craves. I am not surprised that Kyle Busch is the one vacating HMS. I just think it is time for Kyle to move on. I think Kyle has the driving talent to be competitive, but he can be a bonehead. There is a team out there that will hire Kyle and for all we know he has found that place.

I am intrigue at the look of HMS. Can you have that much talent and egos on the same team and be successful? I guess you can...just ask George Steinbrenner.

Dale Jr. Watch 2007

Tomorrow at 11:00 est Dale Jr Watch 2007 will hopefully be over.

Will Dale Skywalker join forces with Darth Hendrick?

Or will he beGinn a new future elsewhere?

Or perhaps create some of his own Smoke?

Holding my breath until then...

Pocono

Rain delay...then racing...then more rain...then no more racing. Part of me is glad that I was out shopping enjoying my vacation. I am not a fan of Pocono, but I hate it when Mother Nature takes over a race. Well...I guess congrats are in order for Jeff Gordon. Well, his crew made a gutsy call on pit road and there you have it.

I don't have much to say except I hate humidity and one of the stores where I could purchase more items for my NASCAR collection is no more. I am not happy. I guess I will have to find some other store to feed my addiction.

I see that Kurt B. was fined and docked quite a bit of points. I can understand why he was not parked for the Pocono race. NASCAR parked him last week and he only garnered some points for his finish last week. I just don't know. I still think he should have sat out another race. Tony Eury gets suspended for "modifying" Jr's car and he gets a 6 race suspension, but Kurt uses his car to almost take out another driver's crew member and gets no race suspension. I don't understand it. Both actions are detrimental to stock racing, with one difference...someone could have been seriously injured in Kurt's case. That's unexcusable in my book. But I guess that's why I don't work for NASCAR. Plus the 100,000 fine he received is put back into the point fund so eventually he would probably get his money back. Am I correct on that? I think fine money should be given to the NASCAR foundation instead of back in the pockets of those who committed rules infractions. That's just all messed up in my opinion.

This is just one race fan's opinion.

Have a great week!

Vacation...

Only 7 more hours and I will be on vacation!!!! Not going anywhere too exotic, unless you consider the DFW exotic. Going to visit some wonderful friends, see the Star Wars exhibit at the Ft. Worth Museum and then go out to TMS--maybe purchase those tickets for the November races.

I hope I will be able to catch the Pocono race on Sunday, but if not my life will not come to an end. Pocono is not one of those races I have to watch. This will be the first race covered by TNT. They will broadcast the next several races until ESPN takes over coverage.

I haven't seen penalties come down regarding Kurt Busch's dumb ass move of the 2007 season. Here's what I would like to see...I want him to have the same view of the race as I will come Sunday...in front of the television set.

I enjoyed watching the Prelude to a Dream on Wednesday night. I wanted to be there, but my vacation comes a week late. You could tell all the drivers were having fun and there was no pressure. Racing like it should be every week. I have to say Juan Pablo didn't do too bad for his first time on dirt. I have to give him his due for daring to go where he has never raced before. And then you have Red Farmer...still racing after all these years. Plus you had two drag racers in the mix. These guys are used to going in a straight line...very fast for a few seconds, not in a circle at what must have seemed like a snail's pace to them. But they too were having fun. But Wednesday night was more about the race, it was about Victory Junction. I have visited with lots of people in my travels to TMS who have bad mouth Tony and say he isn't good for the sport, etc, but if you could see what he did on Wednesday night, you would have a greater understanding what Tony is all about. Tony may criticize NASCAR and other drivers and yes at times I wonder WTF he is thinking, but deep down he has a heart as big as Texas. That's why I am a fan.

Will Denny remain undefeated at Pocono? Will Clint Bowyer break through this week and make it three in a row for "first timers"? It's only a matter of time before Clint makes his way to Victory Lane.

Have a great weekend!

Rumble In The Pits

I didn't get to see the race on Monday. I was able to see a clip of the tangle between Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart. From what I could tell, the on track incident was just a racing deal. Of course I didn't get to see the laps leading up to the meet and greet, but all I saw was a racing deal. Two racers wanting the same spot on the track and neither one giving an inch. I don't see why Tony had to give Kurt the line. They both had good cars. I can understand if Tony was much slower than Kurt, but this didn't look like the case. With that being said, I would like to address the actions of Kurt Busch after the on track incident.

I was appalled by what he did. I am sure he wanted to tell Tony what he thought of Tony's driving on the track. That's all in good, but when your car nearly takes out a crew member then I take issue with your actions. Luckily Tony's crew member was not hurt in the incident and he was able to jump up on the hood of Tony's car to avoid Kurt's car, but his could have turned out differently. While listening to Sirius on the way, one caller said this incident was being blow out of proportion and that if it had been anyone else this would be no big deal. I disagree. I don't care who it is including Tony. Car vs pedestrian is not a good thing. The pedestrian usually comes out on the bad end of things. NASCAR was right in parking Kurt. Should he been further penalized? Yes. This is a safety issue. NASCAR is always said safety of everyone at the race track is a number one concern. I would still be upset if this was the other way around. No matter who it is behind the wheel your car is a dangerous weapon even at a slow speed. It will be interesting to see how NASCAR handles this one.

The Final Lap

Bill France Jr. 1933-2007

Rain Sux

I am sick of rain. For the past several nights we have had thunderstorms. Some being on the severe side. Luckily, there were no tornadoes, but I am sick of them. I don't like my television viewing interrupted by our local metereologists telling me there is a nasty thunderstorm headed my way. First of all there is one of them who blows everything out of proportion and panics everyone for no reason. Here's the deal...the fine citizens who live in this part of the great state of Texas know what thunderstorms are all about..hail..rain..wind..and an occassional tornado. We get it. I think this guy likes to here himself talk. I will give him credit...he gives out the most information, but ENOUGH ALREADY. This leads me into yesterday's NASCAR race.

I was already to hunker down to watch the Dover race. Unlike last year's race Tony was in top condition and ready to race. I had friends, non-NASCAR friends mind you, coming over for come dogs and patties. And that stinking rain just had to ruin my NASCAR watching day. DAMN YOU RAIN!!!! Why couldn't the BUSCH or TRUCK race been rained out? Now, I have to listen to the race at work--AT WORK. This work thing is SERIOUSLY cutting into my NASCAR watching. But I am OK!

Speaking of friends, I was introduced to Architect's new girlfriend yesterday. She was very nice. I like her. I haven't seen Architect this happy in a long time. I have always believe he needed someone who wasn't the typical gal Architect dated. She's definitely made an impact on him. I didn't get a chance to visit with her as much as I wanted because I was playing the hostess with the mostest, but we are headed out to Big D next week for a much needed vacation. We are planning to meet up with them for dinner/lunch and that will give me a chance to visit with her some more.

5 days till VACATION!!!!!

One more thing before I go...the Dale Jr. lottery is still going on. I think the top contenders are Gibbs and Ginn. I know Earnhardt nation would love to see him at RCR, but not at this point in his racing career. Dale needs a place where he feels safe, comfortable, and more importantly feel like a champion. I think both Gibbs and Ginn would be those places. We will just have to wait and see.

I will be watching Prelude to a Dream from Eldora Speedway on Wednesday night courtesy of HBO pay-per-view. All proceeds benefit Victory Junction. I can't wait. It will be fun to watch the boys race on dirt. Have you ordered it today?

Oh did I mention...5 DAYS TILL VACATION!!!!