Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway, May 16, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Dover Photos
Apparently I have work ethic today, so here are some pics from a few weeks ago at Dover, and then the two most recent races (Charlotte & Pocono) will follow in the next post.
Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway, May 16, 2010
Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway, May 16, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Was that really Pocono?
Hey, it's me! I'm still alive! Well, I couldn't help but put in my two cents about all the drama at...Pocono. Hmm, "drama" and "Pocono" in the same sentence? Hey, works for me. I've always thought it was one of the more scenic tracks there is and wouldn't mind going there if the races were a little more exciting. Well, yesterday's race would've been a perfect one to be at!
First things first, the 48 finished 5th, which is a nice comeback from the last couple of weeks. I think it's funny how Jimmie has a bad couple of races, and everybody starts saying, "Oh, it's not Hendrick's year this year, looks like JGR's rising to the top," etc. Well, it's true that JGR is having a good year so far, and I like those guys for the most part, so that's a good thing. However, those who say HMS is losing its dominance aren't taking the past 4 years into consideration. As a Tony Stewart fan, I know exactly who was at the top of the standings this time of year last year: Tony. Not Jimmie. Funny how things change by the end of the year, eh? All I'm going to say is that we still have a long way to go.
Ah yes, now on to the Grudge Match 500. This involves two drivers I actually like (well, at least until now), so for once, no previously existing bias here. I'll make it short: I think it was Harvick's fault. Yes, they were going for the same piece of track, but since Logano was half a car length out in front of Harvick and could only see what was happening by his limited view from the mirrors, I feel that it was up to Harvick, who had a much clearer line of vision right out the windshield, to watch where he was going. Thanks, Harvick. You ruined Joey's top 5 finish and took a spot away from Tony, who had worked so darn hard to get to 2nd. Usually I wouldn't care about one measly spot, but that was an incredibly hard-fought 2nd place, and to give Kyle a chance to just breeze by Tony on the restart when he wasn't able to pass him before under green really sucked, at least for me.
I liked Joey's reaction at the end of the race. I thought it was really, really lame of Kevin's crew to surround him like that and not let Joey talk to Kevin...come on, it's not like Joey was going to start throwing punches or something. As for the post-race interview, well, I liked his sarcasm last year when he got into it with Robby Gordon after the Nationwide race at...Watkins Glen, I think? And I liked it again yesterday. Maybe it wasn't totally above-board to bring Delana into it, but it's not like he insulted her, so I don't think it was that big a deal. I think he did the right thing, all in all, and maybe Harvick will get a clue in the future. I like Harvick's aggressive driving style, but there's a difference between aggressive and reckless. If you're going to drive like that, you have to drive smart at the same time. Lord knows everybody's veered across the line from "up on the wheel" to "I-don't-give-a-darn-right-now" at some point, but it seems like Harvick has a hard time accepting blame and learning from his mistakes.
First things first, the 48 finished 5th, which is a nice comeback from the last couple of weeks. I think it's funny how Jimmie has a bad couple of races, and everybody starts saying, "Oh, it's not Hendrick's year this year, looks like JGR's rising to the top," etc. Well, it's true that JGR is having a good year so far, and I like those guys for the most part, so that's a good thing. However, those who say HMS is losing its dominance aren't taking the past 4 years into consideration. As a Tony Stewart fan, I know exactly who was at the top of the standings this time of year last year: Tony. Not Jimmie. Funny how things change by the end of the year, eh? All I'm going to say is that we still have a long way to go.
Ah yes, now on to the Grudge Match 500. This involves two drivers I actually like (well, at least until now), so for once, no previously existing bias here. I'll make it short: I think it was Harvick's fault. Yes, they were going for the same piece of track, but since Logano was half a car length out in front of Harvick and could only see what was happening by his limited view from the mirrors, I feel that it was up to Harvick, who had a much clearer line of vision right out the windshield, to watch where he was going. Thanks, Harvick. You ruined Joey's top 5 finish and took a spot away from Tony, who had worked so darn hard to get to 2nd. Usually I wouldn't care about one measly spot, but that was an incredibly hard-fought 2nd place, and to give Kyle a chance to just breeze by Tony on the restart when he wasn't able to pass him before under green really sucked, at least for me.
I liked Joey's reaction at the end of the race. I thought it was really, really lame of Kevin's crew to surround him like that and not let Joey talk to Kevin...come on, it's not like Joey was going to start throwing punches or something. As for the post-race interview, well, I liked his sarcasm last year when he got into it with Robby Gordon after the Nationwide race at...Watkins Glen, I think? And I liked it again yesterday. Maybe it wasn't totally above-board to bring Delana into it, but it's not like he insulted her, so I don't think it was that big a deal. I think he did the right thing, all in all, and maybe Harvick will get a clue in the future. I like Harvick's aggressive driving style, but there's a difference between aggressive and reckless. If you're going to drive like that, you have to drive smart at the same time. Lord knows everybody's veered across the line from "up on the wheel" to "I-don't-give-a-darn-right-now" at some point, but it seems like Harvick has a hard time accepting blame and learning from his mistakes.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
JJ vs. Kyle
It looks like maybe I'm finally going to get to see my Jimmie vs. Kyle match-up here pretty soon. I was kind of bummed because I thought it was finally going to come today, but even though watching them go back and forth for the lead was fun, I wanted to see them race for the WIN, dang it!
I'll just hold my pants on, though, because it looks like they're finally turning on the heat at the same time. In past years, it seems like if one is doing well, the other isn't. Kyle's been Mr. February-to-May for the past couple of years, and Jimmie, of course, always gets 'er wound up during the Chase. This year, though, Kyle seems like now he's just getting good and warmed up, and Jimmie's been strong at the beginning of the year, too, except for the last few races, so I hope they're finally going to get to go toe-to-toe and race up front against each other for a while. It'll also be interesting to see the two crew chiefs try to out-think each other...you've got Mr. 4-Time versus the Upstart Smarty-Pants from Nationwide, so here's hoping Dave Rogers is up to the challenge (because I KNOW Chad is ready!).
Anyway, I hope both of them can stay hot and get a bit of a rivalry going because that was fun today! ...Until Jimmie blew it, anyway. But that's the great thing about NASCAR - there's always next week! I can't wait for Charlotte...it's been a while since we've seen a good Coke 600, after last year's race got rained out and all. Bring it on!
I'll just hold my pants on, though, because it looks like they're finally turning on the heat at the same time. In past years, it seems like if one is doing well, the other isn't. Kyle's been Mr. February-to-May for the past couple of years, and Jimmie, of course, always gets 'er wound up during the Chase. This year, though, Kyle seems like now he's just getting good and warmed up, and Jimmie's been strong at the beginning of the year, too, except for the last few races, so I hope they're finally going to get to go toe-to-toe and race up front against each other for a while. It'll also be interesting to see the two crew chiefs try to out-think each other...you've got Mr. 4-Time versus the Upstart Smarty-Pants from Nationwide, so here's hoping Dave Rogers is up to the challenge (because I KNOW Chad is ready!).
Anyway, I hope both of them can stay hot and get a bit of a rivalry going because that was fun today! ...Until Jimmie blew it, anyway. But that's the great thing about NASCAR - there's always next week! I can't wait for Charlotte...it's been a while since we've seen a good Coke 600, after last year's race got rained out and all. Bring it on!
JJ Can't Drive 55
Well, THAT was frustrating. I flip over to NBC to see how the Sharks and Blackhawks are coming along, relatively confident that when I flip back to Fox, Jimmie will still be leading the race as he had been for the last I don't know how many laps. Surprise! I come back to Jimbo punching it out of his pit stall to beat Kyle to the line and taking a speeding penalty that ends up costing him the race. Maybe it's my fault for changing the channel. In that case, I apologize profusely.
On the other hand, the 48 car staged a major comeback today, and Jimmie said after the race that what works at Dover usually works at Charlotte (per NASCAR.com), so things are looking good for next week's race. I'll be expecting the usual domination at Charlotte, and I know the 48 team will come out stronger than ever after today's race because, well, that's how they roll. I hate that saying, but it's kind of literal in this case. Uh-oh, maybe I should take out that part about the "usual domination"...I don't want to jinx them! Okay, the 48 team is going to completely suck next weekend, and they're going to come in last. There, now I've jinxed them so they'll do the opposite. God, I was never this superstitious before I started watching hockey...
Well, the school year is winding down (holy crap, I can't believe it's May, but thank God it is!), so I'll have more time to work on the backlog of Chad pics from previous races. Help. My Flickr idea didn't pan out because you can't save pics from there unless it's a premium account, so maybe I'll put them into Photobucket instead. I don't know if I'll make it all the way back to the beginning of the year, but at least I can start with this weekend's photos.
On the other hand, the 48 car staged a major comeback today, and Jimmie said after the race that what works at Dover usually works at Charlotte (per NASCAR.com), so things are looking good for next week's race. I'll be expecting the usual domination at Charlotte, and I know the 48 team will come out stronger than ever after today's race because, well, that's how they roll. I hate that saying, but it's kind of literal in this case. Uh-oh, maybe I should take out that part about the "usual domination"...I don't want to jinx them! Okay, the 48 team is going to completely suck next weekend, and they're going to come in last. There, now I've jinxed them so they'll do the opposite. God, I was never this superstitious before I started watching hockey...
Well, the school year is winding down (holy crap, I can't believe it's May, but thank God it is!), so I'll have more time to work on the backlog of Chad pics from previous races. Help. My Flickr idea didn't pan out because you can't save pics from there unless it's a premium account, so maybe I'll put them into Photobucket instead. I don't know if I'll make it all the way back to the beginning of the year, but at least I can start with this weekend's photos.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Contract Extension Is a Go
I'm so late to the party here, so as you probably already know, Chad just signed a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports, and will be there through 2015.
Here's what he had to say about his future after that date:
Here's what he had to say about his future after that date:
"Five years from now, a lot of things can change in that time frame, you just don't know what's going to happen. … Crew chief years are like dog years, so I'm thinking I'm about 97 years old, so I don't think I can go much more after that." (Scene Daily)Well, that's kind of a bummer, but logical...the mental stress has got to be agonizing. I mean, I freak out at my TV just watching the races, and I don't have to figure out whether to take take 2 or 4 tires, or what to do if the setup isn't right, or how to fix the dang thing if somebody mangles it up. Hmm, I wonder if I could make it to Homestead in 2015? It'd be great to be there and do something to show our appreciation for everything he's done. Uh, but let's not talk about that right now; it's too much of a bummer...ask me again in 2015.
Luck and Preparation
Not that Chad will ever see this, but just in case, I'd like to say, duuuude, you are so right! You know how he's always saying you make your own luck? I just had that illustrated to me in blindingly bright colors over the last three Red Wings games. Yes, I'm talking about hockey again. Sorry, it's taken over my brain. So they're playing a best-of-seven game series against the San Jose Sharks, and there has been some epically bad officiating, and some epically bad luck for the Wings (Lidstrom's stick breaks, which leads to a Sharks breakaway, which leads to the game-winning goal for them...that kind of stuff). They've lost all 3 games they've played so far. Now, this hasn't been their best year ever, but I KNOW they can play better than they have been. I do blame the reffing in part, but ya know what? They needed to be prepared for that kind of stuff. They needed to give themselves enough insurance so if they got a lame ref, or if their goalie had a bad night, or if Eaves got hurt and they had to put that #$% Williams in, it wouldn't cause them to fall to pieces.
THAT is why Jimmie and Chad are the masters of the universe. Things go to hell in a handbasket at Texas? No problem. They've already won 3 Chase races and finished in the top 5 or 10 (probably the top 5...too lazy to look up the stats) in the others. That allows them to concentrate on getting the car back out their as quickly and efficiently as possible and logging as many laps as possible, and then they can go on to the next race and kick some butt. Which, of course, they did.
And I'm not trying to get down on the Red Wings here because I know playing to the level where you can have a little padding and leeway for errors is easier said than done. For instance, you think you're doing pretty good going into the 3rd period with a 3-1 lead, and then all of a sudden the other team is tied up and you blow it in overtime. You're never that far from trouble, whether it's an odd-man rush in hockey or The Big One at Talladega, and that just goes to show you just how very special the 48 team is. They are prepared for everything, and when disaster strikes, they are composed enough to be able to take it in stride and go on to the next race knowing that everything is in place and ready for success. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why the 48 team is lucky: because they put themselves in a position to be so. And that is a really rare thing that I don't think enough race fans appreciate (including myself sometimes), even though Chad says it over and over.
THAT is why Jimmie and Chad are the masters of the universe. Things go to hell in a handbasket at Texas? No problem. They've already won 3 Chase races and finished in the top 5 or 10 (probably the top 5...too lazy to look up the stats) in the others. That allows them to concentrate on getting the car back out their as quickly and efficiently as possible and logging as many laps as possible, and then they can go on to the next race and kick some butt. Which, of course, they did.
And I'm not trying to get down on the Red Wings here because I know playing to the level where you can have a little padding and leeway for errors is easier said than done. For instance, you think you're doing pretty good going into the 3rd period with a 3-1 lead, and then all of a sudden the other team is tied up and you blow it in overtime. You're never that far from trouble, whether it's an odd-man rush in hockey or The Big One at Talladega, and that just goes to show you just how very special the 48 team is. They are prepared for everything, and when disaster strikes, they are composed enough to be able to take it in stride and go on to the next race knowing that everything is in place and ready for success. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why the 48 team is lucky: because they put themselves in a position to be so. And that is a really rare thing that I don't think enough race fans appreciate (including myself sometimes), even though Chad says it over and over.
Monday, April 26, 2010
LOL @ Jeff Gordon
Jeez, Jeff, have you been to the doctor lately? I'm no expert, but it sounds like you're going through menopause, man. I mean, over and above your kerfuffle with Jimmie, the fact that Tony Stewart had to calm YOU down last weekend tells me something just ain't right. What's next, Harvick and Edwards throw a popcorn party together?
But back to the Jimmie issue...I just don't understand why you've waited until now to be offended by a little beating and banging. I mean, you raced with Earnhardt for the first eight years of your career, right? I was assuming you'd probably be used to racing hard by now, but I guess I was wrong. What can I tell you, if it's still bothering you after all this time, maybe you should try switching to the kinder and gentler IndyCar Series. Either that, or like I said, give the doctor a call. He'll probably ask you a few questions, like, "Are you experiencing hot flashes?" I wouldn't know the answer to that one - you'll just have to be honest with yourself - but when he asks you if you're having mood swings, you can definitely answer "yes."
Signed,
A Concerned 48 Fan
Read what Jeffie's whining and moaning about: "Gordon's frustration with Johnson continues at 'Dega" (NASCAR.com)
But back to the Jimmie issue...I just don't understand why you've waited until now to be offended by a little beating and banging. I mean, you raced with Earnhardt for the first eight years of your career, right? I was assuming you'd probably be used to racing hard by now, but I guess I was wrong. What can I tell you, if it's still bothering you after all this time, maybe you should try switching to the kinder and gentler IndyCar Series. Either that, or like I said, give the doctor a call. He'll probably ask you a few questions, like, "Are you experiencing hot flashes?" I wouldn't know the answer to that one - you'll just have to be honest with yourself - but when he asks you if you're having mood swings, you can definitely answer "yes."
Signed,
A Concerned 48 Fan
Read what Jeffie's whining and moaning about: "Gordon's frustration with Johnson continues at 'Dega" (NASCAR.com)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Howdy
Uh, hi! It's been a while! Well, despite Jimmie wrecking and ending up 31st, I actually felt comforted by today's race after watching the Red Wings blow it 5-2 in what could have been a series-winning game. Now they're going to Game 7...hold me. And this is only the first round - eep! As bipolar-disorder-inducing as the Chase is, I have to say, it's got nothing on the multiple-heart-attacks-waiting-to-happen that are the NHL playoffs. I mean, I'm not saying that the Chase is boring; it was wide open until halfway through the thing when Jimmie won at Charlotte, and it was blasted back open after Texas, so I think it's doing its job. I'm just sayin', hockey is trying to kill me, hehe, which is part of the reason I haven't been on here so much. The other, more boring reason is I'm taking classes and working at a real job, so that kinda eats up my free time, too...not that other bloggers don't have those obligations. I mean, I will readily admit that I'm lazier than them, but I just thought you should know that I didn't suddenly stop watching NASCAR or lose my mind and join the barmy band of Johnson and/or Knaus haters.
Speaking of which, hey, for once we weren't the ones caught bending the rules! Congrats to MWR for ensuring yourselves a top nomination for the Smokey Yunick Award this November at the 4th annual Stewie Awards.
In other, Chad-related news (haaaallelujah!), Hendrick Motorsports is getting close to announcing a contract extension with crew chiefs Chad Knaus and Alan Gustafson. More on that at NASCAR.com. Most of the article talks about how Rick Hendrick doesn't know what's going to happen with Kasey Kahne in 2011, so scroll down toward the bottom for the actual Chad talk.
Speaking of which, hey, for once we weren't the ones caught bending the rules! Congrats to MWR for ensuring yourselves a top nomination for the Smokey Yunick Award this November at the 4th annual Stewie Awards.
In other, Chad-related news (haaaallelujah!), Hendrick Motorsports is getting close to announcing a contract extension with crew chiefs Chad Knaus and Alan Gustafson. More on that at NASCAR.com. Most of the article talks about how Rick Hendrick doesn't know what's going to happen with Kasey Kahne in 2011, so scroll down toward the bottom for the actual Chad talk.
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