This afternoon I was driving to my local Starbucks for my regular Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte hit and I turned on Sirius’ NASCAR channel. On the channel display it listed the top 5 car numbers for the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega. I freaked out for a moment and thought that maybe I was missing the race that it had somehow slipped my mind that the race was tonight and not tomorrow. Of course I was right, the race is in fact tomorrow and that line up of car numbers was just for today’s qualifying session.
The top car on the list was Travis Kvapil’s No. 28 Academy Sports + Outdoors Ford Fusion. Which is probably why I thought the race was on and maybe he was leading, but to find out that Kvapil is on the pole for the AMP Energy 500 is just so awesome! I can’t believe he’s on the pole. It’s so cool. I am so happy for him and his team. I really, truly hope that he and David Gilliland get a good finish out of the race tomorrow. No, not a good finish, a great one!
Talladega is going to be crazy tomorrow and I cannot wait to see what happens!
In other news…
– This has nothing to do with racing but I feel the need to share. You must, I repeat, you must buy the following two CDs: “Only By The Night” by Kings of Leon and “New Surrender” by Anberlin. These bands rock my world in the most wonderful way. I cannot live without music, it’s probably my second most favorite thing in the world behind writing and these guys are amazing. If you’ve never heard Kings of Leon before they’re this sort of modern southern rock band, and Anberlin is indie/alternative rock. Both have great lead singers with beautiful and unique voices. Check them out, you will not be sorry!
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I was in my favorite grocery store the other day when I happened upon a display for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s candy bar Dale Jr.’s Big Mo’ in Creamy Caramel. Of course I was happy about this because I hadn’t been able to find the candy bar in my area until this point, and luckily it was on sale!
So in terms of taste I think it’s good stuff. It’s not trying to do too much ya know? It’s just simple milk chocolate and caramel. There’s also a milk chocolate and peanut butter version.
In other news…
– Did you know that you can win $25 in free gas from me?? You’ve got from now until October 31st to win one of three $25 BP/Amoco gas cards.
– Check out the first in a series of videos for the Americans for a Gunk-Free Nation campaign. Kevin Harvick makes an appearance:
– On Tuesday Kyle Busch went down to Texas to take on the media in a game of paintball. This was all in promotion of the upcoming Dickies 500 weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, of course. And as usual Kyle dominated:
And much like his NASCAR season, he piled up some victories. Busch went undefeated against his media counterparts in three games and in the process walked away unscathed. Releasing some of his aggression against the media was quite rewarding and entertaining for the 23-year-old Las Vegas native.
“I let off a little steam, especially against the media so that was fun,” Busch said. “It was pretty fun there at the end. I think I knocked out the last three on the other team (in the final game). I’m not bragging, but I’m saying that was cool to do it.”
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kyle Busch signs his name with the paint splatter on the prize — the Dickies 500 trophy — after he and his team defeated the local Dallas/Fort Worth media in paintball warfare for a Texas Motor Speedway media event Tuesday, Sept. 30, at Fun On The Run Paintball Park in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo By Tom Pennington/Getty Images for the Texas Motor Speedway)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kyle Busch takes a break during paintball warfare for a Texas Motor Speedway media event Tuesday, Sept. 30, at Fun On The Run Paintball Park in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo By Tom Pennington/Getty Images for the Texas Motor Speedway)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kyle Busch (immediate left of trophy) and Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage (immediate right of trophy) stand next to the Dickies 500 trophy and the participants in paintball warfare for a Texas Motor Speedway media event Tuesday, Sept. 30, at Fun On The Run Paintball Park in Fort Worth, Texas.
So I’ve been meaning to post these photos for the past couple of weeks and now I finally have the time to put ‘em up. NASCAR drivers and team owners visited with soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C.
It’s no secret that NASCAR has a deep respect for those that serve our country, you can see evidence of that at the racetrack each weekend, but I think it means so much that NASCAR takes the time to bring themselves to the people that have given up so much for all of us as Americans.
(Left to right) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch and former NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip visit a soldier at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Military Advance Training Center in Washington, D.C. NASCAR made its annual visit to the facility to salute the troops on Thursday. (Photo Credit: Larry French/Getty Images for NASCAR)
(Left to right) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Scott Riggs visits a soldier at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. NASCAR made its annual visit to the facility to salute the troops on Thursday. (Photo Credit: Larry French/Getty Images for NASCAR)
A soldier at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Military Advance Training Center in Washington, D.C welcomes, from left to right, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Travis Kvapil, NASCAR President Mike Helton, Yates Racing GM Max Jones and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver David Gilliland. NASCAR made its annual visit to the facility to salute the troops on Thursday. (Photo Credit: Larry French/Getty Images for NASCAR)
(Left to right) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle signs an autograph for a soldier at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Military Advance Training Center in Washington, D.C. NASCAR made its annual visit to the facility to salute the troops on Thursday. (Photo Credit: Larry French/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Would you like to go to France? I know, so would I! Well now you have a chance to win a trip to the 24 Hours at LeMans event! Just enter the Amooco Ultimate Contest powered by CarDomain.com and you could win an amazing trip abroad. Now, even if you don’t win the grand prize you could still win free gas and who doesn’t love free gas??
Check out the details:
BP has teamed up with CarDomain.com for the Amoco Ultimate Contest. Car enthusiasts will be encouraged to upload photos of their own vehicles to the site, while CarDomain visitors can vote for the most impressive cars. Prizes will be awarded to winners on a weekly and monthly basis. One winner will be awarded the grand prize at the conclusion of the contest.
* One Grand Prize winner receives a trip to the 24 Hours at LeMans event in France
* Two winners receive trips to an American LeMans Series race
* Monthly winners of a $1,000 BP gift card
* Weekly winners of a $250 BP gift cardCheck out the Amoco Ultimate Contest!
In addition to the amazing contest listed above, the lovely people from BP/Amoco have given me 3 (three) $25 gas cards to give away to a few of my awesome readers. Enter to win today! My contest ends October 31, 2008.
In other news…
– Here’s an opportunity to win face time with Carl Edwards, I mean, the Gillette Young Guns, yeah that’s what I meant:
With the Chase in full swing, crew chiefs Bob Osborne and Mike Ford will be focusing on the most precise details to give Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin every advantage possible on the track. But these two crew chiefs won’t just be assisting their respective teams, they’ll also be helping out NASCAR fans who enter the new Gillette Young Guns TimeShaver Challenge that rewards weekly prizes and a chance to race with the Young Guns to those aligned with the driver who shaves the most off his pit road time each week. Fans can be paired with a driver by purchasing a Gillette Fusion razor or visiting http://www.gilletteyoungguns.com.
In addition to weekly group prizes, the “TimeShaver Challenge” will provide 10 grand prize winners the chance to travel to Charlotte, N.C., and compete in a customized driving school led by the Gillette Young Guns, which include Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and 2008 Daytona 500 Champion Ryan Newman.
Did you get your copy of the September 22 issue of ESPN The Magazine with New Orleans Saint Jeremy Shockey on the cover? Well why the heck not? I loved the Shockey piece (I’ve been dying to know how he felt about sitting on the sidelines for the Super Bowl), but I also bought it because of the article featuring Joey Logano and his racing buddies Mark Davis and Chase Austin. All three guys are up and coming in the world of NASCAR racing, but of course Joey is waaay ahead of his friends on the NASCAR totem pole of success. It’s a good read and I recommend it.
Also of note: I really, really need to start watching more hockey. I’m just sayin’.
Oh and check out this little video (below) of Joey, Mark and Chase at their photo shoot for ESPN The Magazine:
In other news…
– You might have noticed the new logo gracing the back of Carl Edwards‘ No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion at Kansas this past weekend. If you didn’t, you’re just not paying attention now are you? Anyway, the logo I speak of was for the Mystique Salon & Spa (located in Boise, Idaho) owned by Julie Catalano*, which is this year’s “Official Small Business of NASCAR, courtesy of Office Depot.” Julie was flown out to Kansas for the race 
weekend and will receive a $10,000 small business makeover from Office Depot, plus her company logo will stay on Carl’s car for the remainder of the season. Now how’s that for great advertising?!
If you have a small business, keep this contest in mind for next year!
“This is an amazing opportunity for any small business owner, and I am thrilled to have the Mystique Salon and Spa logo featured on the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion,” Catalano said. “Office Depot helps me take care of my business every day and having that kind of support, along with hard work, has been very important in expanding my business during the past eight years.”
Edwards, who also created his own small business, Back 40 Records, said he was impressed by the hard work and dedication Catalano had put into her company.
“As an entrepreneur myself, I know how hard it is to run a small business,” Edwards said. “It takes a lot of time, effort and creativity to build and operate a successful small business, and Julie (Catalano) has done an incredible job — Mystique Salon and Spa truly deserves to be the Office Depot ‘Official Small Business of NASCAR.’”
*Okay, so this is beyond off topic but her last name reminded me of the character Jordan Catalano from the awesome show “My So-Called Life” from the mid-90s that I absolutely LOVED when I was in high school. Jordan Catalano was played by the insanely hot actor Jared Leto (who also fronts a band called 30 Seconds to Mars). Anywho, I just had to share that totally irrelevant piece of sort-of trivia. Ha! This is seriously how my mind works. 
This is the exact reaction I had after reading the AP headline of “Paul Menard to leave DEI for Yates Racing.” While I can’t say I didn’t see this coming, rumors of this have been around for a long time, it’s still a big thing to read. I mean, really? Seriously??
This better not affect David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil negatively. I’m just sayin’. I don’t put anything past anyone these days. With the economy being what it is, I would not be surprised if the field of cars for each race next year is down to only 13 teams. Wow, I just thought about that. That would really suck.
