Now it’s just getting ridiculous. All of the things that can go wrong for Dale Jr. do go wrong for him it seems lately. Sunday I went to the Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, Calif. John Mayer was performing so I had to skip watching the race live and rely on Tivo to catch the action of the race at Atlanta for me. I left the show immediately following Mayer’s performance to make sure I had enough time to zip through my recording of the race. Tivo makes it so tempting to skip everything and just get to the end but I wanted to make sure I caught all the accidents & incidents as they happened.
I was so excited, I mean there were only 3 laps left and he was this freaking close to winning it and then the wheel falls off?? Ugh. So lame. And poor Martin Truex Jr. getting caught behind Denny Hamlin and his watered down gas issue. This season is really starting to bug me. And if that’s not enough I tried to watch the Busch race on Saturday and I had to be subjected to Rusty Wallace. Why can’t they let Allen Bestwick do the Busch races??
Ya know I seriously contemplated creating a petition to get Rusty off the air, but I don’t know… is that mean?
Maybe it should be an all encompassing make NASCAR toss out their deal with ESPN petition?
Anywhoo… In other news…
– Next week I travel to my favorite place Las Vegas for the Blog World & New Media Expo. I am beyond excited. Is anyone else planning on attending? Any of my fellow sports bloggers?? Anyone? Anyone?
You be the judge, is this Kasey Kahne or Carl Edwards? The caption I have says it’s Kasey, but the uniform says Office Depot — which leads me to believe it’s Carl… What do you think?
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet, stands in the garage, during practice for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Pepboys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on October 27, 2007 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
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I had to share this, it’s too friggin’ cute!
Three month old Bristol Skinner – grandson of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points leader Mike Skinner – made good use of the trophy his grandfather won at Martinsville Speedway last Sunday. The win vaulted Mike Skinner to the top of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings, 11 points ahead of Ron Hornaday. The tight championship battle will continue Saturday when the trucks head to Atlanta Motor Speedway.
This Week in Press Releases:
– Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced his new non-profit organization The Dale Jr. Foundation:
Foundation To Focus On Underprivileged And Youth
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 25 2007) – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced the launch of The Dale Jr. Foundation Tuesday night at the eighth annual Dale Jr. Celebrity Sports Auction, held at Founders Hall in Charlotte, N.C. His newly-formed charitable organization is dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals, primarily youth, the resources to improve confidence, education and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals.
“My path in life made it a bit easier for me to reach my goals and get to where I am today, but I realize that not everyone is as fortunate,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet some really cool kids through the Make-A-Wish Foundation® the last few years, and it’s made me appreciative of all that I have.
“I decided to start this foundation as a way to help those who haven’t had some of the opportunities I’ve had. We plan to help those in need who are trying to reach their goals and just need someone to give them a chance to succeed.”
The announcement came at the conclusion of a yearly event that benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Central and Western North Carolina. The Dale Jr. Foundation will continue to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation® and will also aid the Victory Junction Gang Camp, with the Dale Jr. Celebrity Sports Auction serving as the annual fundraising event for the foundation.
The total amount raised at this year’s Dale Jr. Celebrity Sports Auction will be determined at the conclusion of an 88-day online auction for a custom chopper built by Orange County Choppers. Fans can place bids on the custom-built bike through Dec. 18 by visiting www.celebritysportsauction.com or www.nascar.com. The one-of-a-kind chopper was built exclusively for Earnhardt Jr. as part of the Sunoco/Orange County Choppers Custom Chopper Series and was designed to reflect the red, black and white paint scheme of Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 8 Chevrolet. It has been personally autographed by Earnhardt Jr.
For information on the foundation and ways to contribute, visit www.thedalejrfoundation.org.
– Kurt Busch held his own fundraising event to raise money for The Victory Junction Gang Camp and the Kurt Busch Foundation:
“Ride with Kurt for the Kids” fundraising event a roaring success
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 23, 2007) – Experiencing 175mph speeds, pulling over 3g’s during the intense laps around Lowe’s Motor Speedway with NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, plus the silent auction, meet & greets, photos and autographs – all added up to more than $40,000 raised in support the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the Kurt Busch Foundation.
“We could not be happier with results of the inaugural event held at Lowe’s Motor Speedway,” Busch explained of last Wednesday’s first of two such fundraisers planned this season. “Our goal was to provide an event that would create memories that will last a lifetime and judging by the smiles of our participants, I’d say we had a big-time winner.”
The “Ride with Kurt for the Kids” event marked the first-ever fundraiser for the Kurt Busch Foundation. In addition to the many loyal Kurt Busch fans that invested their own time and resources to attend and make the event a success, the Kurt Busch Foundation wishes to acknowledge and thank the Richard Petty Driving Experience, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Levy’s Restaurants, Miller Brewing, Doug Rice of PRN Radio, Up Up & Away Balloons, plus the many race teams and drivers that donated autographed race memorabilia for the silent auction.
“We had two very special riders for the event,” explained Busch. “Collin Smith and Kayla Rose are two kids from Victory Junction Gang Camp that experienced the ride of their lives last Wednesday. A very kind gentleman from Florida contacted us and asked if he could purchase a ride for one of the campers, and upon hearing about this generous act, it was matched by Tony Stewart. We appreciate their kindness and generosity ”
Kurt Busch and the Kurt Busch Foundation will stage another fundraiser in the 2004 champ’s hometown of Las Vegas on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
For complete event information, please visit www.kurtbusch.com, or send an email to ridewithkurt@kurtbusch.com, or call 704-799-2428. This opportunity is extremely limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
For those who cannot attend but would still like to make a donation to the Kurt Busch Foundation, please visit www.kurtbusch.com.
I’m trying something new today. I downloaded this handy dandy audio player for the blog. Now I can bring you these nifty audio interviews that Roush Fenway publishes each week with a different driver from their team.
This week 17-year-old driver Colin Braun talks about his upcoming Busch Series debut at Memphis Motorsports Park and how he got his ride with Roush Fenway. Enjoy! Let me know what you think…
Seven blown engines have fans wondering if there’s a conspiracy at DEI to give Dale Earnhardt Jr. lame engines since he’s leaving the company. In this video Dale says he doesn’t think so, but he could be getting the crappy R&D stuff.
I have never been this frustrated with caution flags. Martinsville was un-real. I hated the way it ended. I was really hoping that Ryan Newman would be able to pass up Jimmie Johnson, but again a win for him was thwarted by the Hendrick powerhouse and those friggin’ cautions. 
I could say how disappointed I was to know that engine problems are what screwed Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the millionth time, but really what’s the point? I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to the end of a NASCAR season as much as I have this one. I just want to get to Daytona (in person!) and see Dale in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy and let the winning begin! I’m so done with this season it’s crazy. I say that but at the same time I hold out the hope that he’ll still win a race before this year is over.
Is it just me or did they make the pre-race show shorter?? I’m not sure ’cause I only caught the last 10 minutes, which — thankfully — only consisted of the national anthem and the call to start the engines.
I was excited to read that Rusty Wallace was getting the axe but apparently it’s not actually going to happen. I started thinking about my fantasy race coverage crew. It goes like this, Allen Bestwick and Wally Dallenbach would do the pre-race stuff. The pre-race show would feature actual semi-in-depth interviews that were taped during the week before the race. Ya know kinda like how they do with the NFL. Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds and Mike Joy would call the race (as they do now on FOX) and the pit reporters would be Dave Burns, Steve Byrnes, Dick Berggren and Matt Yocum. Ah, if only! What do you think? Good? No good?
Mike Skinner, driver of the #5 Toyota Tundra Toyota, kisses his wife, Angela after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on October 20, 2007 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Clint Bowyer, driver of the #07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet, watches during qualifying for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 19, 2007 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Clint Bowyer, driver of the #07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet, drives in the garage area, during practice for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 19, 2007 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Denny Hamlin is all smiles during qualifying for the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway (Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, walks in the garage area, during practice for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 19, 2007 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Congratulations to Greg Biffle and his new wife Nicole Lunders! They were married on Wednesday in South Carolina and Matt and Katie Kenseth were included in the wedding party. Very cool, love the photo! It’s just too bad you can’t see more of the dress — I’d love to see more of it and the wedding in general. I’m nosey when it comes to this stuff.
Greg Biffle Marries Longtime Girlfriend Nicole Lunders in Southern Style
Concord, N.C. (October 19, 2007) – At just around 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, October 17th, Greg Biffle and his longtime girlfriend Nicole were pronounced husband and wife in a little white chapel at the Palmetto Bluff Resort in South Carolina.
The couple met in the spring of 1998 and began dating officially later that summer. Last Christmas, Greg decided it was time to propose and Nicole happily accepted. Plans were made for an autumn wedding at the southern resort located about 20 minutes from Savannah.
Greg and Nicole exchanged vows with just over 100 of their family and friends on hand for the ceremony. Katie Kenseth served as the matron of honor and Rodger Ueltschi, a childhood friend of Greg’s, served as the best man. Also included in wedding party were Michele Lunders (sister-in-law of the bride), Kris Rondeau (friend of the bride), Amy Wilson (friend of the bride), Jeff Biffle (brother of the groom), Tony Lunders (brother of the bride) and Matt Kenseth (friend of the groom). The newlyweds also included three other family members, Foster, Gracie and Savannah (two boxers and a rescue dog), in the post-wedding photos.
The bride was escorted down the aisle by her father Russ and wore a custom backless white dress with a Chantilly lace overlay by Bonaparte NY and designer Junko Yoshioka. The bridesmaids wore lavender dresses by Vera Wang. Following the ceremony, guests were invited to have cocktails on the lawn where the setting could well have been the backdrop for a scene in “Gone with the Wind”. Guests were treated to a six-course dinner at the Palmetto Bluff Inn and a reception with drinks and dancing followed.
The Biffles would like to extend their sincerest gratitude to everyone in the NASCAR family for their best wishes at this joyful time.
