March Madness

Coming out of Turn 4...

March Madness is upon us this weekend and I am not talking about the NCAA Basketball tournament. I am talking about the Car of Tomorrow's debut at Bristol. All the talk about the COT will be on display this weekend. I am somewhat interested to really see how the COT will do at Bristol. Bristol is one of those tracks that is sometimes is not forgiving to a car. I have to be honest I am not a fan of the design of the car, but what do I know. If the car will provide for more exciting racing sign me up. There are tracks where the cars get so spread out that I change the channel--yes I do that and I am not the only out there who does it either. What I don't want to happen is for the COT to cause more cautions. The more cautions the more air time those pesky announcers have to chat it up about things we as race fans already know about. I will hold judgment on the COT for now. Who knows we all may like it after this weekend.

Now on to this weekend...I love short track racing. The beatin' and the bangin', tempers flarin'...who could forget the Matt and Jeff meet and greet and the subsequent pushing incident of 2006? There was even snowfall at last year's spring race. I can understand how tempers can flare in a place like Bristol. A 1/2 mile track with 43 cars racing in what is literally a cereal bowl. Bring on it I say...bring it on. Of course there will be one thing missing at Bristol this weekend...Mr. Mark Martin behind the wheel. I really wanted to see Mark racing at Bristol this weekend, but alas he is taking a break from the circuit to focus on the things he wants to do. It is a well deserved break for that crazy old man. Watch out though...he will be back to race at Texas.

I did get to catch a little of the round ball last night on CBS. I watched the A&M/Memphis game. It was a pretty good game. Neither team ran away with the game and each of them had a chance to win. And it does pain to say that I wanted to see A&M win only for the fact that it was a team from the great state of Texas and they represent the Big 12. Kind of like NASCAR...even if your driver doesn't win, a teammate can win and you are ok. A&M had the game at the end, but they made mistakes by not making crucial gimme shots (Acie Law IV missed an easy lay-up) and not rebounding. And that is why Texas Tech beat you twice in the regular season. Gig that A&M! Kansas also had a scare as well with Southern Illinois, but Kansas prevailed. I didn't watch the late games, but I went to bed seeing Tennessee up on my Buckeyes by I think 15 points at the half. But when I saw the Bottomline on ESPN Sportscenter this morning, I saw that Ohio State had won. They must have called up a proctologist because the Bucks pulled that one out of their asses.

This weekend will be busy for me..packing up things, watching the round ball, and of course racing at Bristol.

Good luck Tony and race that "Flying Brick" as you call to victory!

One more thing...from "Fox's "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" question that was missed last night...it is a 1st grade geography question..."What continent is also a country?" I know the answer do you?

Again?

Coming out of Turn 4...

I have to admit I didn't watch much racing this weekend. I saw some of the truck race and some of the Busch race. Congratulations to Mike Skinner and Jeff Burton!

Ryan Newman was able to grab the pole for the race today, but had to go to the back because of an engine change. Sometimes it just doesn't pay to get out of bed in the morning. I didn't see much of Newman after that. The race was green for the most part. The first crash didn't occur until Lap 230 with a little meet and greet with David Reutiman, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, and Brian Vickers. Other than that the cautions were mainly for debris and a oil (Riggs blew a motor). It looked like the race was going to come down to fuel mileage and a last surge by "that other home-improvement store" driver. But dang it...one last yellow. Tony got a good pit stop and a good restart, but that "other driver" was a coming. I was hoping they would make a great finish with Tony being victorious. That "other driver" passed Tony because well he did have the better car. But from this fan's point of view, Tony got a little "squished" and thus was not able to challenge for the lead. That's all I ever want from racers--a clean race. That's it. Oh well...what goes around comes around as I always say.

Mark Martin leaves Atlanta as the points leader. I don't think he will race next weekend at Bristol. He is going to take a much needed vacation from racing. But of course you just never know.

Speaking of Bristol, next week we will the much anticipated debut of the Car of Tomorrow. I am interested to see which teams will be on top of their game with regards to the COT and who will be left behind.

I didn't know I had so much NASCAR stuff until I had to pack it up today. Postman and I are moving to a better place. Right now we live below some very rude and annoying people. They have no respect for all of their neighbors. They were reported for noise violations their first weekend in the complex. They DON'T want to compete with me with regards to noise. I have a 42 inch plasma TV with surround sound. I have been known to CRANK IT UP during NASCAR races. Because Postman and I are working on our adoption, we have to move some of our NASCAR items to storage. I know it is sad, but I am only talking about my Jeff Gordon things. Those are the ONLY items headed to storage. You didn't think I would put my Tony or Postman's stuff in storage. I have priorities, and I have PRIORITIES.

March Madness

Coming out of Turn 4...

It begins....the Men's NCCA Basketball Tournament. My Red Raiders (a 10th seed) return to the tournament this year after missing last year. They are up against Boston College (a 7th seed). They are in Winston -Salem, NC. Too bad I wasn't able to get tickets and make the trip. Oh well, I will just watch them on my 42' HD Plasma TV. I believe the Red Raiders can challenge the Eagles. Tech plays in the Big 12 and this conference isn't the easiest to play in. The Red Raiders did beat the Kansas Jayhawks and Texas A&M (twice--in Lubbock and College Station). Plus they are coached by, in my opinion, one of the greatest college coaches of all time--Bobby Knight.

This is probably the only time of the year that I am obsessed with college basketball. I love watching those underdog teams beat up on the "big ones". There is always that game that breaks everyone's brackets. I mean how many people chose George Mason last year to make it to the Final Four? Postman didn't. His brackets last year was busted the first day. And then who doesn't love CBS "One Shining Moment". Good luck this year Postman!

I am the next two days off from work so I will be able to watch basketball. Good Luck everyone--Do you have your brackets ready?

Ho Hum

Coming out of Turn 4...

I thought today's race would match up to yesterday's. In my opinion the Busch race was way more exciting to me. I loved the last lap, Mr. Burton going to the high side to pass Mr. Kyle Busch for the win. I have never been one to mixed my words about what I think of Mr. Kyle Busch, but yesterday was different. Last year we saw Kyle throw his Hans device at Casey Mears for some racing thing. I thought how unprofessional that was and how childish, but yesterday I saw a different driver. Coming out of turn 4 it was obvious Jeff was going to make a run on Kyle. From the vantage point of my recliner, I saw Kyle try to defend his position and try to win. His car got loose and bumped Jeff and then Kyle went spinning across the finish line to capture 2nd. I can say I was whooping it up when Jeff won. I just knew Kyle was going to get upset. But then when I saw Jeff B. drive down looking for Kyle and then Kyle shake Jeff's hand and congratulating him, I was impressed. I must say Kyle gained a little respect from me. Of course we all know how the media wants to visit with drivers after a "meet and greet". From the interview he wasn't mad at Jeff, he was frustrated at himself. That was it. I can't say I will join his fan club, but my opinion of him as changed just a little. Kudos Mr. Busch.

And now onto todays' race...hard tires...new track...made for a fun day for the drivers. Earlier in the week Tony complained about the tires and the track. For me his concerns were something I just dismissed. We all tend to complain about things we don't know about. I have been guilty of it myself. Tony finished third in the Busch race and seventh in today's race...not too bad for a track Tony was too thrilled about. I believe once the track has had time to cure in the desert sun for a year, it will be a little different next year when the boys return to Sin City. One word to the media if you ask Tony his opinion he will give it to you.

Several drivers didn't even have a chance to get their tires warm before they were in the garage. Ward Burton got caught up in a crash early that's to the "driving skills" of Robby Gordon. I was hoping Ward's day would have turned about better for him. Elliott Sadler looked good. He ran up front for several laps and I was hoping he was going to challenge for the lead and win. He finished 14th.

Mark Martin finished 5th today. That is his 3rd top five finish this year. He is STILL leading the points. Will he race at Bristol or will he take that Sunday off? Only time will tell. I for one enjoy watching Mark race this year. The pressure is off and he can just race. That's it. That's what Tony was doing in the last ten races last year. He was just racing.

I loved the Kasey Kahne All-State Insurance commercial where he was pulled over for "speeding". Very funny. At least his car was destroyed. Are the ladies now stalking Elliott Sadler too?

I feel like I have forgotten something here in this post...what could that be??? Oh...Jimmie Johnson won the race.

Kasey and Kevin

Coming out of Turn 4...

Congratulations to Kasey Kahne for grabbing the pole and setting a new track record. As we know from last year...when Kasey gets on the pole...he wins.

Also mad props to Kevin Harvick for sitting on the pole for the Busch race tomorrow.

With all the fast cars today, this weekend's races will definitely be fun to watch.

I am excited to see that Ward Burton raced his way into the race on Sunday.

Viva Las Vegas!

NASCAR Fans...continued

Coming out of Turn 4...

As I was driving in this Tuesday morning, I was able to listen to a replay of an interview with Marty Snider, David Poole, and Mr. Seaquist on Sirius NASCAR. I would like to say thank you for agreeing to an interview to clarify your remarks. You discussed your argument against ISC building a track in your fine state and your points were valid. I don't want to be viewed as someone who doesn't accept other points of views on things. From the start of the interview you were asked about your infamous quote. You stated this quote was not intended to be about NASCAR fans, but you were referring to the ISC. Now, let me chew on this a bit.

I try not to get political here in The Park. I will debate racing issues (i.e. COT, restrictor plates, DEI, aggressive driving) all day long with you here in The Park. I don't, however, want to turn my site into a political forum. We all have opinions about things and I choose to keep my political views off this site. But here's the deal...Mr. Seaquist is a politician. I don't usually care for politicians. I know there are those out there doing a bang up job for me in my home state of Texas and in Washington DC. That's why they get my vote on Election Day. I am aware the press can take things that seem unimportant and run with it. But here's a my view, I am just tired of it all. I am just tired of politicians saying something and then back peddling. I said this, but it was meant to be taken this way or it was taken out of context or it wasn't directly meant for you. And then there's the ever popular and a personal favorite of mine...no comment. I listened to Mr. Seaquist's interview and I respect his viewpoint because he made valid arguments for his position. Mr. Seaquist next time you voice your concerns about this issue take time to think about how you say something. Some times taking a few moments to think about your words makes a difference.

Thank you.

NASCAR Fans

Coming out of Turn 4...

An open letter to Washington State Representative, Larry Seaquist (D) and State House Speaker, Frank Chopp.

I would first like to address Mr. Seaquist. I understand that ISC is considering building a track in your fine state. I understand that you do not want this track to be built in your fine state. I do however take issue with your comment about NASCAR fans. Here is what you said about us...
"These people are not the kind of people you would want living next to you. They'd be the ones with the junky cares in their front yard and would try to slip around the law."

Now I know you must care a great deal about your home state. I feel the same about the state of Texas. I am sure there are valid reasons for not wanting a NASCAR track in your state...environmental, traffic, etc, however I take offense at what you said about NASCAR fans.

First of all majority of NASCAR fans do not have junky cars in their yards. In fact I have meet quite a few fans in my own town, via this blog, SmokeVip, and at Texas Motor Speedway. I can honestly say they do not have junky cars in their yard or try not to slip around the law. I would have no problem living next door to them. I consider sevaral of them close friends. I believe they would find your statement offensive too.

Since you have an different point of view about NASCAR fans, let me tell you about this particular NASCAR fan. I am from the great state of Texas. I am college educated and hold down a full time job. I am a law abiding citizen. I am kind to others and care about my friends and family. I do not own a junky car and if I did what does it matter to you. I would keep it running because I care about other drivers on the road. And if it stopped running I would try to get it to a junk yard. I am a hard working patriotic person who just happens to love NASCAR.

Greg Biffle who just happens to be from your home state of Washington and who I consider one of the better drivers in NASCAR finds what you said inappropriate. You don't get to be one of the best drivers in NASCAR without some talent behind you. Benny Parsons must have thought he had the gift or Greg Biffle wouldn't be one of the elite drivers in NASCAR. Greg hit the nail on the head when he said you were "uneducated about NASCAR." That's just it.

Secondly, Mr. Chopp, I am offended by what you said about Richard Petty. This man is a 7-time NASCAR champion. He is revered by the NASCAR community. Even people who really don't follow NASCAR as I do, know who Richard Petty is. The Petty family created and built Victory Junction Gang camp to give children who are have chronic illnesses a chance to get away and be just a kid. All of this was created in honor of Richard Petty's grandson Adam Petty who was killed doing what he loved...racing.

I am not without understanding. ISC (International Speedway Corporation) is proposing Washington taxpayers to pay half the facility's cost ($368 million). This is quite a price tag for those who live in the state of Washington. ISC would roughly contribute $180 million and pay for cost overruns according to the proposal. This is probably just one thing to consider in agreeing to having a race track built in your state. I understand there are probably environmental and traffic issues to consider as well. I am not advocating for or against this issue, I don't live in Washington. I do, however, take issue with the assumptions about NASCAR fans. That's what I am upset about. That's it.

So Mr. Seaquist and Mr. Chopp, I would suggest you take time to learn about NASCAR and its fans. You never know...you may have one living next to you.

Number Juan!

Coming out of Turn 4...

I watched the last 20 laps of the Busch race yesterday. I am not a fan of road races to begin with and this was a Busch race. All the hubbub was about Juan Pablo Montoya. I know he has left his open wheel days to come race with the NASCAR boys, but this boy has some skills. It is interesting to listen to all the commentators, etc talk about Juan. They are so fascinated by him. I am intrigued to see how he will do in NASCAR, but enough already. We know he has somewhat of a learning curve to go through with the bigger and heavier car. We know he has brought a lot of skills with him to NASCAR. Plus he will probably bring newer fans to NASCAR.

Yesterday the ESPN race announcers were stating how impressed they were with Juan being able to make his way back to the front of the pact after some hiccup in the pits. Here's the deal...Juan knows his way around a road course. It didn't surprise me that he was battling with Scott Pruett with 8 laps left. Before the green flag dropped, we all knew Juan was going to pass Pruett. That's why it didn't surprise me that Juan bumped his own teammate to get the lead. Did he take a page of the Jeff Gordon Driver's Handbook? Of course I wasn't driving on the track yesterday so I don't know. Maybe Juan thought there was daylight for him to pass Scott. Maybe Scott wanted to win the race just as much as Juan and threw the block on Juan. I can't say either way, but that Juan sacrificed his teammate for the win. And there was such a big deal about Juan winning...oh my god...Juan was expected to win. I think I will get to like Juan as a driver, but I am waiting to see how he does with the Cup circuit before I can determine anything.

I feel bad for Scott. It's one thing to get spun out with less than 10 laps to go in a race, but when your teammate does it STINGS. You are supposed to respect other drivers on the race track. I know it doesn't happen all the time (i.e. the Stewart/Kenseth incident last year at Daytona comes to mind), but come on Juan....he's your teammate...race him clean. To me I would rather you race him clean for the win. I respect that. You had the faster car. You were going to pass him regardless. PATIENCE...my amigo...PATIENCE.

Some final thoughts from last week...
I know COT testing was going on in Bristol this past week. I also see that NASCAR may move up full implementation of the car in 2008. From what I have heard it sounds like the COT will bring more of the racing back to the driver. I like edge of your seat racing. I think that is why I getting more into Trucks these days. That's some exciting stuff!

Mark? Will he or won't he? We won't know until Bristol is upon us.

Well...VIVA LAS VEGAS! The boys are headed to Sin City where they will encounter a "new and improved" Vegas track. I wanted to be in Vegas this weekend. I love Vegas!