It’s funny to me that Jeff Gordon is the current points leader for the Nextel Cup Series and yet nobody is talking about him, well some are but only to say that he’s probably not going to win the race this weekend at Texas.

That’s totally fine with me, I don’t want him to win, there are other people that need to win a race right now.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. needs to win one to keep his charge up the points standings going and to give his contract negotiations with DEI an extra sense of urgency. Not that it really needs it but DEI needs a slap in the face to realize that they need to just end all this damn suspense and just sign him, give him his majority stake and call it a day.

I’m sooo tired of all the media coverage surrounding the contract talks with Dale Jr., I rank it right up there with all the hype about Juan Pablo Montoya joining NASCAR. Big whoop.

In other news…

Because it’s Friday the 13th here’s a video of NASCAR crashes I found on YouTube. (Need something to blog about? YouTube baby! it’s gold!)

I’m posting this because:
1) Who doesn’t love crashes?
2) I dig Chris Daughtry (an American Idol alum, that’s his song “Crashed” playing in the background)
3) Because I have nothing else to talk about (but you still love me)

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It’s official. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has signed Supercross superstar — and hottie –Jeremy McGrath to his JR Motorsports team. McGrath will be racing late model cars sponsored by Monster Energy Drink.

Here’s more from the press release:

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 11, 2007) — JR Motorsports introduced seven-time Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath as its newest late model driver on Tuesday, pairing one of the most popular Supercross stars of all time with NASCAR’s four-time most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The announcement was made at the grand opening of the team’s new 66,000-square foot shop. McGrath will compete in a limited 10-race schedule in a Chevrolet late model stock car sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, with R&B Auto Body Transport Refinishing as an associate sponsor. His first race is slated for April 21 at Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, N.C.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to try, and I’m really grateful that Dale Jr. is giving me this opportunity to drive one of his race cars,” McGrath said. “We are going to test this week, weather permitting. I’ve got a lot to learn when it comes to racing something with four wheels, but I’m confident I can pick it up pretty quick.”

The addition of McGrath and the Monster Energy car gives JRM its third late model entry. Scott Young and Curtis Truex Jr. currently compete in full-season touring schedules in late model cars sponsored by R&B. JR Motorsports also fields a full-time NASCAR Busch Series team with driver Shane Huffman and full-time USAR Hooters Pro Cup team with driver Richard Boswell. All of these teams operate out of the new JR Motorsports facility located in Mooresville, N.C.

“I’m proud to have Jeremy here, and it’s cool to see how excited he is about getting into one of these late models,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I like his approach, his mentality, and the energy he brings to this shop. I know this isn’t just some fleeting interest on his part. He is as serious about this as anyone I’ve ever been around.”

McGrath is easily one of the most recognizable motorcycle racers of all time, as he dominated Supercross from 1993-2004, compiling 74 main event victories and seven titles. He also won the gold medal in the 2004 X-Games Step-Up competition, and earned silver in the 2005 X-Games Supermoto.

“I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of success in Supercross, but this is a new type of racing for me,” McGrath said. “I want to succeed at this. It’s not like I’m coming in here and saying that I’m going to be a Nextel Cup driver or anything like that. I want to focus on this chance.”

JR Motorsports
JR Motorsports, a Mooresville, N.C., based company solely-owned by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., is a growing team in NASCAR Busch Series, USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series and late model stock car competition. Founded in 2002, the team is entering into its second season in the NASCAR Busch Series with the U.S. Navy and driver Shane Huffman. In addition to fielding the No. 88 Navy Accelerate Your Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the NASCAR Busch Series, JR Motorsports also fields the No. 88 Champion Chevrolet in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series with driver Richard Boswell. Scott Young and Curtis Truex Jr. are a part of the R&B Late Model Driver Development Program in the Nos. 71 and 73 R&B Chevrolets and compete at short track across the Southeast. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.jrmotorsport.com.

Dale Jr. still wants to own the majority of DEI, duh, and I think the acquisition of McGrath to his JR Motorsports team proves that he’s really into growing a team, putting together a solid foundation for the future. For DEI there is no future without Junior as far as I’m concerned, if they don’t give him the majority stake in the team then they’ve got nothing.

This just in: Michael Waltrip “allegedly” fell asleep at the wheel while driving home and wrecked his car. Waltrips behavior after the crash (crawling out of his car, walking home, and not reporting the accident) has people wondering if there isn’t more to this story. And I think I might have to agree with them, after all, he’s got something to cry in his cocoa about — his new racing team isn’t doing very well this year.

In other less accident prone news Mark Martin spoke with the media today and had some nice things to say about NASCAR racing newcomer Ricky Carmichael, his realistic expectations for the new Toyota teams and his admiration for his sponsor the U.S. Army.

Q. Are you happy with the progress Ricky Carmichael has made so far? What are some of the problems or issues you see being a rookie?

MARK MARTIN: We’ve just done one race and I was thrilled with what he did. He has an awful lot to learn and he learned quite a bit the first time out. Real excited about working with Ricky. I love him as a person. He is a fierce competitor and incredibly talented. I’m sure, as sure as I’m breathing, that he’s going to do this.

Q. There’s still some concerns I guess at Texas Speedway, some drivers have brought up the fact there’s still a bump in the road, bump in the track, there’s some problems there. Are you satisfied with the changes they’ve made?

MARK MARTIN: Yeah, I’m not aware of any problems at the racetrack. I love it and I think the drivers love it. I think the fans love it. It’s a fabulous facility.

Q. Is it to be expected that teams have struggled so far this year? Is that to be expected?

MARK MARTIN: Let me give you my take on this. I know you haven’t noticed this, but this is the truth from a guy who knows. I know what I’m talking about. Dave Blaney and Bill Davis’ car was a top five car in all four of the first four races, they just didn’t finish there. They exceeded my expectations. I mean, serious top five car. Didn’t get the finish they had coming.

And then Vickers ran great in the Bud Shootout at Daytona and ran great in California, but didn’t make most of the rest of the races. He could have ran great like 10th. I think that’s great.

So, yeah, they’ve had a disaster. You know, I mean, Michael Waltrip Racing hasn’t met expectations, but whose expectations. My expectations for them were for them to struggle desperately because it’s such a hard — what he tried to do is huge: start a new three-car team. Wasn’t expanding a two-car team to a three-car team, whatever. Starting from scratch, Michael got good people, but he just didn’t get them mixed together just right just yet.

Michael Waltrip Racing is struggling, and Red Bull is struggling, not necessarily Toyota is struggling. I’d say Bill Davis is exceeding expectations with the 22 car.

MODERATOR: Mark, out here in Phoenix, we have a program called Salute to Military Families Program. Last year it was able to provide over 4,000 tickets to military servicemen and their families in the state of Arizona. We’ve continued this program this year. As you know, much of NASCAR is devoted to military support. You driving the U.S. Army car, you never hesitate to speak of that, your appreciation of the military while racing. Can you elaborate a little bit more on that and what it means to you to represent the U.S. Army this season.

MARK MARTIN: Well, you know, the U.S. Army represents so many things that are important to me and to the fabric of our country, like loyalty, honesty, duty, discipline, respect, a lot of things that are huge not only to me but to our country. What we don’t get the message across enough is how proud we are of our soldiers and what they’re doing for us, what it means to us and to our country. That’s something that I think is really important for all of us to try to keep in mind.

In a semi-recent interview with Sports Illustrated Dale Earnhardt Jr. said that he may not be the marrying kind. Here’s an excerpt:

SI: Do you hope to get married one day?

Earnhardt: If it happens, it happens. It’s a hell of a commitment. Can’t you just hang with them? Do you have to get married? I imagine marriage changes the atmosphere of the relationship for the worse.

And millions of women around the country cry into their Dale Earnhardt Jr. licensed pillows.

In other news…

Carl Edwards has set out on a campaign to prove that he is the most buff and athletic NASCAR race car driver that has ever lived. Lately he’s been on the cover of Men’s Fitness, and Men’s Health. Maybe this is his way of proving to the sports world that NASCAR is indeed a legitimate sport that requires strength and training, or maybe he’s just trying to prove that he’s hot shirtless. I’m thinking it’s a combination of both.

So now the question is which cover is better??? I’m going with ESPN.

Now that I commute to the City (aka San Francisco) everyday on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit, for those of you not in No. Calif. that’s our version of the Subway system in New York, ours is waay better btw) I make sure that I have a book to read during the ride.

This week’s BART book was “On The Edge” by Pamela Britton. I’ve written about Pamela before, even did a mini email interview with her last year, talking about how much I enjoyed her first book in the new Harlequin/NASCAR partnership called “In The Groove.”

These books are romance novels set in the world of NASCAR racing. Being a woman, a single woman at that, reading these books is so much fun for me. There are never any bodice-ripping sex passages but there are enough details to make me grin a little while pouring over the books on BART.

You could say the books are a “guilty pleasure” but there’s nothing to really feel guilty about. Pamela writes with clarity and attention to detail. She’s done her homework on the mechanics of racing so you’re also learning about the sport as well as whatever romantic entanglements the characters find themselves in.

So for whatever its worth — and that’s a lot — I give “On The Edge” two thumbs up!