So the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway in Fontana, California was this past weekend and there were many highlights. There’s a lot to cover so lets get to it.
– R&B singer Brian McKnight sang the national anthem and was absolutely wonderful! He wasn’t pitchy at all, unlike Country duo Big and Rich at Daytona.
– Actor Kevin Costner’s announcement of “Gentlemen, start your engines” thoroughly sucked. I think they should have actor/hottie Matthew McConaughey do it every week. He was the Grand Marshal of the Daytona 500 in 2005 and he kicked butt in delivering those most famous words in motor sports. It’s not that big a deal really but it’s so nice to have someone spice it up a little. McConaughey is total character and if you’ve seen his work in the movie “Dazed and Confused” you know what I mean.
– Even though it was completely disheartening to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. leave the race early due to engine problems, it was very funny to watch him take a bow after managing to keep his car from hitting the wall. See Teresa, he can do both — be a race car driver AND a personality!
– On the other hand it wasn’t funny at all to watch David Reutimann after his car crashed into the wall late in the race. It was obvious that he was hurt watching him slumped in his seat and then slow to finally pull his window net down. Apparently the g-force impact from the crash was among the hardest ever recorded. Now there’s one record book I wouldn’t want to be a part of. But most importantly Reutimann was able to walk away from it all and is doing ok now.
– After Jeff Gordon finished 2nd on Sunday he headed over to the Vanity Fair Oscar party at Morton’s in West Hollywood with his pregnant wife (and NON-Supermodel) Ingrid Vandebosch.
Jeff Gordon and his wife Ingrid Vandebosch arrive at the annual Vanity Fair Oscar party at Morton’s in West Hollywood, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
Brian McKnight sings the national anthem prior to the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. (Photo Credit: Donal Miralle/Getty Images)
Aren’t his eyes gorgeous? And they perfectly match his sponsor’s colors
J.J. Yeley is ready to practice his No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet at California Speedway on Saturday. (Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
David Reutimann (00) slides to a stop after a crash in turn 4 at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. , Sunday,Feb. 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Dave Waters)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. bows to the crowd after spinning out and missing the wall in Turn 4 at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Dave Waters)
A skull design decorates the back of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s helmet in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Auto Club 500 in Fontana, Calif., Friday, Feb. 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Mark Avery)
Welcome to The Fast and the Fabulous! This is a blog based on one woman's thoughts, opinions and experiences involving NASCAR and IndyCar.
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my feed with your favorite feed reader or have the latest posts sent directly to your email address.
Thanks for visiting!
Apparently Kevin Harvick hasn’t seen the animated movie “Cars,” because if he had he would have let Mark Martin win!
I know, I know, Kevin Harvick won the Daytona 500 fair and square, but still. Mark Martin has done everything but win the 500 and a Cup Championship and this is his last year racing in the Cup series. Harvick has a million years left in his career; this was Martin’s last chance.
Honestly my heart hurts for Mark Martin, I wish he could of edged out Harvick. He was so freaking close.
My other disappointments for the day included Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer who both ended up in big crashes late in the race.
Overall there aren’t many highlights of note. Kelly Clarkson’s pre-race mini concert was just OK. She sang “Since U Been Gone”, “Miss Independent” (during which they unfurled a big picture of the Statue of Liberty, can you say lame?) and some new song that I’d never heard of before.
Country duo Big and Rich sang the national anthem and Nicolas Cage gave told the drivers to start their engines. I don’t know if it was just me but his hair looked a little weird (see below). At least his movie “Ghost Rider” was tops at the box office this weekend.
“Happy” Harvick himself
Winner Kevin Harvick, left, rookie David Ragan, center, and second-place Mark Martin speak during a news conference following the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)
Luckily Clint Bowyer walked away from this mess without any problems
Flames lick from Clint Bowyer’s car, while Carl Edwards (99) passes by on the track following a crash on the last lap of the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
No autographs for you Jeff Gordon fans!
NASCAR fans peer through the windows into the garage area as Jeff Gordon watches preparations for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007. (AP Photo/Glenn Smith)
Am I right or am I right? Scary hair for Nicolas Cage
Actor Nicolas Cage, grand marshal for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race and who appears in the upcoming movie “Ghost Rider,” speaks during a news conference at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)
Speaking of scary hair, here’s Kelly with extensions
Singer Kelly Clarkson entertains prior to the start of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
And here’s Kelly with just her real hair
Singer Kelly Clarkson, right, talks with driver Martin Truex Jr. at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007, the day before the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
insert a clip of the annoying song “bad day” here
Car parts lie outside a garage following the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
I finally watched the NASCAR Awards Ceremony last night. I Tivo’d it on Friday, when it originally aired.
All of my worst fears came to life. Jay Mohr, part-time comedian/part-time actor, was the host and Bill Weber, NASCAR on NBC host, was the announcer. Yea I don’t get that either. Why they needed two people to do the job of one I will never know.
Jay Mohr. Jay, why do you do it? Why do you host the Awards Ceremony when you know that all of your jokes, no matter how funny they are, will always bomb? I don’t know what it is but those people do not want to laugh. Maybe it’s just because there aren’t a lot of people in the audience that it just seems like his jokes are falling flat. For Jay’s sake I hope that’s it but really I’m thinking it’s because NASCAR peeps aren’t really used to being roasted at their own shindig.
The funniest moment of the night was courtesy of Kyle Busch. Because he finished tenth in the standings he was the first from the top ten drivers to give their speech. When he went to thank his girlfriend Erica for her support over the year, he used his brother’s wife’s name, Eva, instead. Needless to say every driver after that ribbed Kyle by making it a point to use the correct name of their significant others.
The awkward moment of the night was brought to us by Jewel. Like I predicted she didn’t sing any songs that had to do with racing or winning or feelings about winning. No, instead she sang “Stephenville, TX” and “Foolish Games.”
Here are some sample lyrics from “Stephenville, TX:”
Housewives told to recapture their youth
By wearing floral print and suede
Fixing their hairdos with PC, chemical-free hairspray
Martha Stewart taught ‘em to make on TV
I was raised a farm girl
Now, I’m too far from home, all alone on the road
Trying to figure out who I am now that the stardust has turned to sand
And the sand has turned to stone — I’m the star making machine
So I think you can understand why I was cringing all the way through the song (and then through “Foolish Games”, where she sings about a love gone awry). I love the song and Jewel in general but not so much at a stock car racing awards ceremony. I mean this is like Mariah Carey singing “Vision of Love” before a NHL hockey match. It just doesn’t work for me.
In terms of the fashions on display I was very disappointed. There wasn’t much to look at, all of the ladies seemed to opt for black, except for Kevin Harvick’s wife, Delana who wore a green Vera Wang gown. You can’t go wrong with Vera.
You’ve gotta check out the video of the “yellow” carpet at the event. The correspondent asks the women who they’re wearing and you get some interesting answers. I recognized two designers Vera Wang and Ungaro, the other ones I have no idea. You have to remember these women don’t have stylists like Hollywood A-listers do. Yes they have a ton of money but they’re not spending all their time shopping on Rodeo Drive.
Jewel performs at the NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship Cup Series Awards Ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, Friday, Dec. 1, 2006. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)
Mark Martin, left, jokes with host Jay Mohr after accepting his award for finishing ninth in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship Cup Series at the awards ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, Friday, Dec. 1, 2006. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)
Seriously, I have. There a bunch of things that I’ve meaning to write about but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. So, in the meantime, I’m going to list some of the things that have been rattling around in my head and then one day (soon) I’ll write in length about said subjects.
– I had a dream last night where I met a guy who was mentally Clint Bowyer but was physically soccer star (or football star if you’re from outside the U.S.) David Beckham. I have no idea what that means, if anything, but I just wanted to share.
– I was in Las Vegas this past weekend helping my sister celebrate her birthday. It was the same weekend that there was a big boxing match (between welterweights Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Carlos Baldomir) and a bull-riding competition (Sean Willingham is hot). So there was this interesting mix of cowboys and celebrities (ok, ok, so I only saw Charles Barkley and Jim Lampley).
– While leaving Las Vegas I happened upon the Budweiser Racing Track Bar & Grill inside McCarran airport of all places! There was a huge photo of Dale Jr. in one of the displays in front and of course I snapped a photo of my own. I wanted to stay and get food there, but we had to rush to get through the security checkpoint. Lame.
– I received a lovely email from woman who reads my blog. It’s great to know that people read my stuff and actually like it! 
Imagine that. But I totally appreciate it, more than you know. Here’s the letter from Cindi:
I’m not too much of a commenter on your site but I do enjoy it immensely and would like to tell you why I like Jr. so much.
First, Tony Stewart is the driver I cheer on, and Jr. was actually looked upon as a son. He still is. But since he made the Chase, and Tony didn’t, it has become so much fun to cheer on Jr. as I did his father. You see, I stopped watching races after his daddy crashed into the wall. I’m from Florida and I was devastated. I always kept one eye out on Jr. with thoughts and prayers but would not sit down and watch a race.
Then one day as I was walking through my living room to the kitchen, a race was on. I picked up the remote control to change the channel, but this bright orange car passing cars left and right caught my eye. I stood there staring for a moment, and then sat down and watched the first race in more than five years. I will always be grateful to Tony Stewart for bringing me back into racing, and I love Jr. and Smoke both. I found out that you CAN really care for people who you haven’t met, and that you can easily cheer on more than one driver. And since I am old enough to be their mother, there isn’t that “hunky” thing going. They are both men of good character, who show their kindness in many ways. I love racing, I always have. I just now have learned to not only love it, but live with it as well.
Sincerely,
Cindi
– I heard about the fight between drivers Michael Simko and Don St. Denis during Sunday’s Glass City 200 ARCA Late Model race at Toledo Speedway in Ohio yesterday. So of course I had to find video of it and thanks to YouTube I was able to view the glory that is the best racing-related fight this year. This beats Jeff Gordon shoving Matt Kenseth hands down. Enjoy!
If you can’t see the video click here.
– It’s about time Jeff Burton won a race. I was so incredibly happy for him. Seeing his wife Kim’s reaction during the final laps really shows you how much winning really means to the drivers, the team and their families. It’s not just about money. Well I’m sure that’s in there somewhere, but really it’s about wanting to prove that you can win and that you’re still worthy of being at this level of competition.
Since Burton won the race on Sunday he went from fifth to first in the Chase standings. With 8 races left it’s still — almost — anybody’s game.
– What was up with Brooke Hogan’s outfit at Dover on Sunday? She was there to sing the national anthem, and her father, Hulk Hogan, was there to give the drivers the go ahead to start their engines. Apparently Brooke can’t go anywhere without the Hulkster in tow. But I digress. Her dress was a bad choice. This wasn’t the… the… Wait, I can’t think of anywhere that dress woulda been appropriate. No, wait, if she was singing the national anthem at the Championship dinner in New York at night it woulda totally worked, but not so much in the morning at a dirty, grimy race track. I just thought it was a bit much. (photo credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR)
– The winner of the InsideBayArea.com/The Fast and the Fabulous 200 at the simulated Indianapolis Motor Speedway last night was Bob Bryant . Congratulations to Bob! For more details on the race click here.
Ack! There’s so much to tell you. First off once I arrived here this afternoon the track was completely opened up the fans. I’ve added photos of this to the photo gallery. It was so incredibly cool to be standing where they’re going to be racing tonight.
I walked around the garage area, but there wasn’t that much going on. Cars were going through inspection and trying to find a driver is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Although, I did see a small crowd standing in front of Matt Kenseth’s hauler. He was sitting there eating and people were just staring at him. I find that a bit odd. He’s not a monkey in zoo for you to stare at, he’s just a guy.
I completely missed the Kelly Clarkson press conference but I caught a glimpse of her in the garage area. Kelly is the Grand Marshal of tonight
