Sorry ladies, another one bites the dust!!
Travis Pastrana (@TravisPastrana) proposed to his girlfriend, professional skateboarder Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins (@lynzskate), yesterday during the Nitro Circus show at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It’s all on tape, so check it out below. Very cute & sweet! Congrats to Lyn-Z & Travis!
(photo credit: supercross.com facebook page)
The image I created in my head of Richard Childress getting Kyle Busch in a headlock and beating him up far surpasses any actual image of the incident that you could show me (if one even exists). I can’t help but laugh at the whole thing. It’s just too much. Childress was fined $150,000 for the incident and put on probation by NASCAR. When they give fines I think they should be the same number as the person’s car number, so Childress should of been fined $180,000 for Kyle’s #18 truck. NASCAR should maintain a NASCAR theme at all times. 
Ya know what’s annoying? Yesterday’s race was Brad Keselowski’s second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win, his first with Penske, and the commentators didn’t bring that up until he crossed the finish line. I find that annoying because I would like that information up front–with laps to go–so that I can get all emotional and worried for the guy. They do it for Dale Earnhardt Jr. ALL the time. They’ve got that “Races since last win” graphic queued up, always ready to go.
I feel like we didn’t get to really appreciate the fullness of the moment for Brad because nobody talked about the significance of it all that much. Kinda lame.
While I certainly don’t dislike the Fox broadcast team, I am REALLY excited about TNT’s coverage because I’m looking for a change of pace. It’ll be good to get a different perspective, until we get another perspective when ESPN/ABC takes over later this year.
My only question right now is: Can it be time for Infineon’s race now?? Please! I’ll be there and I cannot wait for that race weekend. I know it’s going to be superfun, but let’s hope this ridiculously cold & rainy weather we’ve been having doesn’t last through that weekend. I’m ordering perfect weather; not too hot, not too cold, but just right.
(Left to right) AJ Allmendinger stands next to his 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car as NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty stands beside his iconic STP ride as the sponsor returns to the sport on Friday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. (Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Riding with primary sponsor "The Glades," premiering Sunday on A&E, Tony Stewart was fourth-fastest in Friday's first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. (Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Austin Dillon walks through the Kansas Speedway garage on Friday in Kansas City, Kansas. Dillon was fastest in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, turning a lap at 32.819 seconds/164.539 mph. (Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Clint Bowyer climbs out of the No. 2 Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet in victory lane after winning the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway (Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Team owner DeLana Harvick and husband/driver Kevin Harvick stand on the grid during NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Justin Allgaier celebrates his second career NASCAR Nationwide Series win in Chicagoland Speedway's Victory Lane on Saturday in Joliet, Ill. (Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Ryan Newman, driver of the #39 Haas Automation Chevrolet, his wife Krissie Newman and their daughter Brooklyn Sage Newman sits together prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 400 at Kansas Speedway on June 5, 2011 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR) |
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, his daughter Genevieve Marie and his wife Chandra take part in pre race ceremonies for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 400 at Kansas Speedway on June 5, 2011 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Tim Umphrey/Getty Images for NASCAR) |
Brad Keselowski climbs out of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in victory lane after winning the STP 400 (Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
This is short, and maybe boring, but I was reading through transcripts from today’s top-12 drivers media sessions and I thought this exchange between Denny Hamlin and a reporter was funny and immediately made me think of his Toyota Sponsifier commercial:
What do you drive away from the track?
“I drive my Lexus 460L pretty much every day.”Is it a high performance car?
“No, mine’s not. Mine is a four door sedan made for kids and groceries.”
(photo credit: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
There were three races yesterday. The Grand Prix of Monaco, the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600.
As much as I would LOVE to visit Monaco, I’m not going to pretend that I give a flying fig about Formula 1 racing. It’s interesting I’m sure, but I’ve found that men that follow it are particularly annoying to talk to about any other kind of racing and that has turned me off to it entirely. Yes, I’m basing my opinion of Formula 1 racing off of random encounters with douchebags, and I’m totally OK with that. I’m sure there a lot of really nice Formula 1 fans out there, so please don’t leave me any annoying comments. Anyway, I’ve watched some F1 races and it doesn’t really do much for me. (“Random Encounters with Douchebags” would make a great book and/or movie title, right? Story of my life)
On the other hand I do hope that Kimi Raikkonen will try his hand at NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing at Infineon Raceway next month. Why? Because I’ll be there and new blood is always cool.
So on to the Coca-Cola 600. I’m happy for Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser team for winning the race. I just wish it could have been Dale Earnhardt Jr. instead.
I thought they would have thrown a caution on that last crash, and I find it curious that they didn’t. NASCAR really isn’t helping themselves or Dale Earnhardt Jr. in being inconsistent in their use of the yellow flag. It seems weird to me that there wouldn’t have been any debris on the track after all the contact that happened.
Whatever, we move on to the next race!
Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne meets media on Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. to talk about his return to racing next weekend after battling an illness for several weeks. (Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Cole Whitt, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader, gets ready to make his second start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and first with Pastrana Waltrip Racing during practice Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Kyle Busch drives his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota through the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage as the world's largest HDTV displays practice results on Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Kasey Kahne examines the faces of fans who submit their pictures to be displayed on his No. 4 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Red Bull Racing Toyota this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Matt Kenseth does a burnout at the start/finish line to celebrate his Top Gear 300 victory, the 26th NASCAR Nationwide Series win of his career. (Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Larry the Cable Guy the voice of Mater poses with other stars from the upcoming Pixar film Cars 2 Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Clint Bowyer (right) and Ryan Newman (center) answer fan questions during a Q&A at the Coca-Cola Track Walk and Summer Celebration Cookout on Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. (Credit: HHP)
Ryan Newman, Mark Martin and David Gilliland get tangled up on lap 301 during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Happy Saturday! I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend so far. I had some cool photos sent to me yesterday and I really wanted to share them with you.
– First up, Jeremiah Weed Premium Malt Beverages had their strongman Rendy DeLaCruz pull Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Jeremiah Weed Premium Malt Beverages Ford Fusion down a street in downtown Charlotte. Mr. DeLaCruz pulled the racer 100 feet in 26 seconds. Crazyness, ’cause, ya know, racecars are HEAVY! Anywhoo, I love Jeremiah Weed’s Sweet Tea Vodka, and I cannot wait to try their new premium malt beverages, just from the names alone: Lightning Lemonade, Spiked Cola and Roadhouse Tea. Yumsy!
NASCAR's Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Jeremiah Weed Ford, Jeremiah Weed strongman Rendy DeLaCruz, center, and comedian Adam Carolla celebrates with Jeremiah Weed Premium Malt Beverages after DeLaCruz pulled Kenseth 100 feet in 26 seconds at an event at Speed Street on Friday, May 27, 2011, in Charlotte, NC. Jeremiah Weed Premium Malt Beverages also distributed pre-paid taxi vouchers to legal drinking age consumers to encourage responsible drinking.
Jeremiah Weed Premium Malt Beverages strongman Rendy DeLaCruz pulls NASCAR's Matt Kenseth not pictured, inside the car, driver of the No. 17 Jeremiah Weed Ford, as comedian Adam Carolla, right, hypes the crowd gathered at Speed Street Friday, May 27, 2011 in Charlotte, NC.
– Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu got to take a ride around Indianapolis Motor Speedway with none other than Marco Andretti’s grandpa, Mario Andretti, who won the 1969 Indianapolis 500. Mario took Troy for a spin in the “Fastest Seat in Sports”
today.
Mario Andretti and Troy Polamalu
Geico Racing announced that their driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Casey Mears, and his wife Trish have welcomed a new member of their family into the world today.
The couple’s son, Hayden, was born this morning and joins big sister Samantha.
Congratulations to the Mears Gang!!
Yea, I said it!
The most interesting thing about the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race was the the driver & crew introductions. I’m not even kidding.
Seriously, did ANYTHING happen during that race? I really think everybody saying, “Ooooh, there’s no points at stake, anything can happen!!! the gloves are really gonna come off! Squee!!!” really made it lame. It was just boring. And come to think about it, why would no points at stake and a million dollars be that much more of a motivation for them? Winning the Championship is a far, far bigger deal than the All-Star race will ever be, so I’m not expecting anyone to go above and beyond to win it.
It’s not good when a race ends and I’m just indifferent, like it didn’t even happen.
Also, I find it really interesting how NASCAR drivers can get away with acting like they need a million dollars. Ok, throw in some Nationwide Series or Truck Series guys, or even better, the dudes in the K&N Pro Series, and you’d see a REAL dash for cash. Carl Edwards could ALREADY afford to put his kids through college, this race wasn’t going to be the difference between them going or not.
Anyhoo… here are some photos!
Dierks Bentley kicked the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race day off with a free concert for fans at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Kimi Raikkonen, driver of the No. 15 Perky Jerky Toyota, stands with Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota, in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 20 in Charlotte, N.C. (Credit: Streeter Lecka, Getty Images for NASCAR)
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez talks with Kyle Busch on the grid before the start of the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Kasey Kahne was the first winner of the day at Charlotte Motor Speedway, winning the Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge, AKA the burnout contest. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Clint Bowyer gets some last minute pointers from NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson in the Drivers Meeting before the NASCAR Sprint All Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. greets his fans after being announced as the Sprint Fan Vote winner which transferred him into his 12th straight NASCAR Sprint All Star Race. (Credit: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Carl Edwards does his trademark victory backflip after tearing up his car sliding through the infield grass at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
There’s a bunch of stuff to give you the rundown on today! But here’s a housekeeping note: My Richard Petty Driving Experience Race Ride contest ends on May 31st, so submit your entry now. Two lucky winners will get to ride shotgun in a NASCAR racecar around Bristol Motor Speedway in August.
In other news…
– Angela and Amber Cope, the twin nieces of Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope will attempt to make their NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Iowa Speedway this weekend. They’re attempting to make NASCAR history in becoming the first set of twins to ever compete in a Nationwide Series race. Qualifying for the NASCAR Nationwide Series John Deere Dealers 250 presented by Pioneer will air on ESPN2 at 4:40pm EST on Saturday, with the race taking place on Sunday at 2pm EST on ABC.
Angela Copy (left) and Amber Cope (right)
– IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves surprised a bunch of customers at a Shell station in Indianapolis yesterday. Helio showed up unannounced and filled their tanks up with Shell gasoline. He also got to talk to them about the Shell V-Power Fuel My Passion program. Of course!
The Fuel My Passion sweepstakes allow vehicle enthusiasts who submit photos of themselves with their rides holding the two-fingered ‘V sign’ for V-Power the chance to win great prizes, including free gasoline for up to five years. For more information, please visit www.shell.us/fuelmypassion.
– This past Saturday Window World, the primary sponsor of John Andretti’s #43 Indianapolis 500 entry, unveiled “The Stinger” — a 2011 concept show car as a tribute to the 1911 Marmon Wasp and the 100 years of Indianpolis 500 history. “The Stinger” will be on display in the MotoGP garage area near Gasoline Alley at Indianapolis Motor Speedway through the Indianapolis 500 weekend.
“The Stinger” is also raising money for charities through Window World Cares:
To further support the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, the Window World Cares foundation has invited each of the race’s former starters to autograph the car as it sits on display at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For each signature, Window World Cares will make a donation of support.
Since its creation in 2008, Window World Cares is responsible for raising more than $1.6 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and is also a sponsor of the Veterans Airlift Command.
A Family Affair: Michael Andretti (left), Marco Andretti (center) and John Andretti (right) attended the unveiling of "The Stinger"
– Martin Truex Jr. and his longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex hosted The 2nd Annual Catwalk for a Cause Fashion Show yesterday. MTJ Motorsports was transformed into a fashionista’s paradise with many of NASCAR’s familiar faces on hand for the event that raised money for the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. The fashion show featured apparel from Lavendar Boutique, a women’s designer boutique in Mooresville, NC owned by Sherry Pollex. There are photos here and here. I was able to spot DeLana Harvick, Krissie Newman, Larry McReynolds, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s mom Brenda Jackson, Miss Sprint Cup Monica Palumbo, Max Papis, amongst others.
Martin Truex Jr. and his girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, speak to guests at the 2nd Annual Catwalk for a Cause event (Credit: CharlotteExclusive.com)
I interviewed Shana Mayfield, the wife of suspended NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield, in 2008 and I’m finally posting it today. We talked for little over an hour which is the longest interview I’ve ever done (what’s below isn’t even the entire conversation). For a couple reasons, which I won’t bore you with, I didn’t get it transcribed until this year.
Saturday’s Nationwide Series 5-hour ENERGY 200 was more entertaining than Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks because, ya know, stuff happened.
Not that you ever want to see anyone get hurt, but Saturday had some crazy crashes and all of the drivers walked away totally OK. Although crew guy, Glen Wheeler, for the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. team did sustain an injury to his left leg and was held at a hospital overnight for his injury. It’s crazy that the debris that hit him came from the car he works on. I couldn’t believe Clint Bowyer’s crash. That was insane. When incidents like that happen at Dover they’re always insane. Hopefully Mr. Wheeler will be A-OK.
Sunday was cool and all, who doesn’t love babies in Victory Lane? But it was one of those races where if you talked to me five minutes after it was over and asked me what happened, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. Sometimes it’s like that and then sometimes it’s like last week at Darlington and you can’t stop talking about it. Nevertheless, congratulations to Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 WileyX team. I think that was the second WileyX sponsored race for the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing team, so that’s pretty good for their second time out!
Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, helps push his car prior to practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway on May 13 in Dover, Del. (Credit: Jason Smith, Getty Images for NASCAR)
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Amp Energy Sugar Free and National Guard Chevrolet, stands in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway on May 13 in Dover, Del. (Credit: Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images for NASCAR)
Reed Sorenson meets young fans on Saturday morning during a NASCAR Nationwide Series autograph session at the official NASCAR Merchandise Hauler at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Kyle Busch and the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports team celebrate after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 200 on Friday at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Jason Leffler splashes a puddle as he waits through over an hour rain delay before the start of the 5-hour Energy 200 on Saturday at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Carl Edwards leads as Joey Logano (No. 20) collides with Clint Bowyer (No. 33) at the end of the NASCAR Nationwide Series 5-hour Energy 200 on Saturday at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Carl Edwards celebrates his 32nd career NASCAR Nationwide Series win on Saturday at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. (Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing team as well as daughter Kaylin Nicola and wife Katie (foreground) in Sunoco Victory Lane on Sunday at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Accepting the Miles the Monster trophy in Sunoco Victory Lane are Katie and Matt Kenseth and their daughters Kaylin (right) & Grace (left) after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
– This might be old news to some, but I just realized I’d never posted it here. David Stremme is poised to return to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with the newly formed Inception Motorsports, but he’s also embarking on a new adventure as a husband! David proposed to his girlfriend, Ashley Deihl, during Thanksgiving last year and the couple plan to wed later this year.
– Do you love Kasey Kahne? I mean, really, who doesn’t? Do you adore Brian Vickers? Well put your face on their cars for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29th. Well, not your face-face, but an image of your face. In fact you can put any–or as many–photos as you want on the No. 4 or the No. 83. Just send your pictures to [email protected] or upload them at www.redbullracingusa.com/shutterspeed by May 22nd.
– It’s time again for the “Official Small Business of NASCAR, Courtesy of Office Depot” sweepstakes. It’s my favorite NASCAR contest and if you’re a small business owner you simply MUST participate! The national FREE advertising you’d receive as a result of just being a finalist is priceless in my mind, but there’s also the small matter of $1 million that could be yours too!
Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), celebrating 25 years as a leading global provider of office supplies and services, is teaming up with 3M® and NASCAR® stars Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, and Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford, to offer the exciting possibility of a $1 million payday for one small business owner through the “Official Small Business of NASCAR, Courtesy of Office Depot” sweepstakes.
The sweepstakes runs from now through May 28 and small business owners can enter online and – new this year – via their SmartPhone at OfficeDepotRacing.com. Two small business owners will be randomly selected as finalists, earning them a $10,000 small business makeover from Office Depot* and a VIP race weekend experience for two – not to mention a chance at the $1 million prize! Plus, as an extra reward to small business owners who participate, Office Depot is giving away one $1,000 Office Depot gift card every day during the sweepstakes entry period.
Get all of the deets, and info on all of the other goodies you can win even if you’re not the ultimate winner, at OfficeDepotRacing.com.
– Dale Earnhardt Jr. unveiled the world’s largest HD TV screen today, which happens to live at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He tested out the ginormous screen with an iRacing.com simulator.
(Photo Credit: Credit: HHP/Harold Hinson)For its operational debut, Smith and Earnhardt Jr. used an oversized remote to power on the 200 foot-wide, 80 foot-tall HDTV, created by Panasonic, to reveal a highlight video of past racing action
at Charlotte Motor Speedway.“Charlotte sets the standard for the rest of the tracks,” said Earnhardt Jr. “They always do things first and do things the biggest and look, here we are today with another first from them. Charlotte holds a special place in a lot of drivers’ hearts, mine included and the big TV makes this place even more special.
“The Coca-Cola 600 is one of the best events we have all year long. Now fans can get a ticket to the race and have the experience of the live event with the comfort of their own TV at home with this big TV,” Earnhardt Jr. continued. “This place just keeps getting better.”
– INDYCAR had an unveiling of their own today. The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series concept cars–one model for ovals and another for road/street courses–made their debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where they will be on display throughout the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29th. These cars look… different, so it’ll be really interesting to see what the manufacturers come up with in terms of changes to the body kits. These mockups look like something out of a “Batman” or “Transformers” movie.
A rolling chassis – dubbed the IndyCar Safety Cell – will be the universal feature of the next generation car, with bodywork open to development and sale by any approved manufacturer. Three engine companies–Honda, Chevrolet and Lotus–committed for 2012 will augment the IndyCar Safety Cell and aero kit programs, creating its own buzz.
“The idea behind these is to show two totally different-looking vehicles that underneath are the same chassis,” Cotman said. “There is a lot of room for aerodynamic kit development and that’s what this platform is about – allowing people the freedom to design as they wish, dream as they wish and come up with a superior product than others. That’s what drives competition.
“So will these be exactly what Dallara’s kits are going to look like on road courses and ovals next year? No.”
Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya failed to bring what Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch delivered.
O. M. G.
The SHOWTIME® Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway was the greatest NASCAR race I have seen in quite some time. It was Ah-mazing!
First, congratulations to Regan Smith on winning his first Sprint Cup Series race (and congrats to Furniture Row Racing for winning their first race as an organization). He was emotional and his team was ridiculously happy. It was the perfect finish and I LOVED it. A first-time winner is the greatest thing. It was great to see him be congratulated by Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Brad Keselowski.
But of course before all of that you had the driver’s moms, as usual, giving the command to start engines. How adorable was Jimmie & Chandra Johnson’s baby daughter, Genevieve, clapping during the National Anthem? That was too cute.
Then there was the race with David Ragan peeling back Brian Vickers car like it was a can of sardines, poor Clint Bowyer crashing out, and the most amazing series of events with Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch.
I think that Kevin Harvick should walk around with a speaker hanging out of his pocket playing the song “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty on a loop. It’s his theme song. He is no joke.
I know that fighting is frowned upon and all that but I loved it. When Kevin punched Kyle’s helmet/face and then Kyle pushed his car into his Kevin’s it was all TOO much for my brain to process. It was wonderful. I felt like a high school kid in the quad yelling “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Does NASCAR really need to take action? I’m in a “Ah, whatever, let it gooo” kind of mood. They’re adults, they know what they did was wrong. Let’s not forget that sports are entertainment, they serve no other purpose than that (Yes, they can be inspiring and all that but still), and Saturday night’s race was PURE entertainment from beginning to end. So, NASCAR should send Harvick and Busch a “Thank You” card, some flowers & maybe some candy.
Here’s video of the last laps:
Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, pulls into the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SHOWTIME Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 6 in Darlington, S.C. (Credit: Chris Graythen, Getty Images for NASCAR)
Jimmie Johnson wears the famous Jim Hunter NASCAR hat in the garage Friday at Darlington Raceway (Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Chris Buescher, driver of the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, sits in the car normally driven by Trevor Bayne, in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Royal Purple 200 at Darlington Raceway on May 6 in Darlington, S.C. (Credit: Geoff Burke, Getty Images for NASCAR)
Polesitter Kasey Kahne waits waits to climb into the No.4 Red Bull Toyota before the start of the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (Credit: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images for NASCAR)
The No.78 team celebrates Regan Smith and Furniture Row's first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Darlington Raceway (Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Regan Smith climbs out of the No.78 Furniture Row Chevrolet after winning the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. (Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Carl Edwards is a dad again! His wife, Kate, gave birth to their second child, son Michael, on Wednesday. Michael weighed in at 8lbs, 6 oz. Carl & Kate are already parents to their daughter, Anne, who was born last year.
Carl was asked about his son’s birth during his media session held at Darlington Raceway today:
“It was amazing. Kate is an amazing woman. We had a healthy young boy. His name is Michael Edwards and he’s doing great, so it’s just a great week. It was unreal. We had a lot of fun. Annie is really excited about her little brother. I don’t think she quite understands what is going on, but we’re all doing really well, so it’s good.”
I interviewed the reigning Daytona 500 champion, 20-year-old Trevor Bayne, at Auto Club Speedway earlier this year. It was a lot of fun and Trevor was super nice. As you’re reading the interview just imagine a lot of laughter throughout. He had a really great attitude in approaching all of the questions.
As I’m sure you’ve heard Trevor has been dealing with some medical issues and is working to get his symptoms diagnosed as soon as possible so that he can get back into a racecar this year. I really wish him all the best and hope that he can get back to the track as soon as possible.
—
What is your favorite word? Epic
What is your least favorite word? The “G.D.”* word, when people are cussing and stuff. That’s terrible.
What turns you on? Here’s my favorite thing that ever happens: When we’re going out to wakeboard, we’re going to get a set on the lake, and you roll out and it’s, like, perfect weather but then the lake’s just glass. The wind’s down, you go out and the water is just glass. We call that, “butter,” because you don’t want to wakeboard on some choppy water.
What turns you off? Bad weather. When it’s cold & rainy that’s terrible. That’s my least favorite thing in the world. If it’s cold & snowing I’m good with it. Or if it’s raining when it’s warm I’m OK, but, like, cold rain is the worst thing in the world.
What sound or noise do you love? Car engine.
What sound or noise do you hate? Nails on a chalkboard is the worst.
What is your favorite curse word? I don’t have one. I don’t say them.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I’d like to be in action sports. A wakeboarder or snowboarder, something like that I’d like to try. I know I couldn’t be a gold medalist in the X Games or anything but that’s what I’d like to do.
What profession would you not like to do? I do not want to be the guy cleaning out the port-a-potties. No, thank you on that one.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Well, it does, and I want to hear him that say, “be proud.”
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*Ed. note: By “G.D.” he meant, “God damn”
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
This blog isn’t about fashion but sometimes it comes up and relates to racing.
A few years ago I wrote about Scott Speed working with Muze Clothing to create a t-shirt that would benefit The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America Southwest Chapter. Well, the “Muffin Man” t-shirt is still available for purchase with 100% of the proceeds going to the same foundation.
And now I’m working with Muze to promote some of their newest t-shirts that will be of supreme interest to racing fans. First, let’s go over what Muze Clothing is all about:
Born out of an appreciation and dedication to classic movie lines, Muze is a lifestyle brand where movie quotes and fashion collide to bring you your new favorite shirt.
So the guys at Muze have created these two shirts: “If You Ain’t First You’re Last” one of the classic lines from the movie “Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby” and “Rubbin’s Racin’” from “Days of Thunder.”
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I was this close to feeling bad for Denny Hamlin for not sweeping the races at Richmond this past weekend until I came across the program from last year’s Awards Ceremony banquet. The program included photos of each winner of every race in 2010. Denny won EIGHT of them. You’re not going to find any sympathy over here, Denny.
But I do like The Denny (that’s what I call him) and his new Toyota Sponsifier commercial is my favorite out of the three featuring him, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. Why is it my favorite? Because I love the little kid that tells him he drives like his mom, and I love the silly smile Denny makes after the kid says that AND I love that when Denny smiles like that I instantly think he looks like that actor on NBC’s “30 Rock,” Jack McBrayer (he was in “Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby,” too). Here’s a side-by-side comparison shot:
Denny Hamlin (left) vs. Jack McBrayer (right)
In other news… Elliott Sadler announced that he and his wife, Amanda, are expecting a child this year. The couple are already parents to a son, Wyatt, who was born last year.
Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Scotts EZ Seed Ford, stands in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Apr. 29 in Richmond, Va. (Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
(L-R) Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commander of the U.S. Army Accessions Command, Revolution Racing CEO Max Siegel, Darrell Wallace Jr and NASCAR Vice President of Public Affairs and Multicultural Development announce a partnership between the U.S. Army and Revolution Racing. (Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Ryan Truex gets advice from older brother Martin before the start of the the BUBBA Burger 250 at Richmond International Raceway. Truex ended up posting his first career top-10 finish. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Travis Pastrana signs autographs for fans during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Apr. 29 in Richmond, Va. (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
Denny Hamlin celebrates winning the BUBBA Burger 250 at Richmond International Raceway, his second NASCAR Nationwide Series victory at his home track. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
A young Denny Hamlin fan watches the hometown favorite race during the Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond International Raceway. (Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 National Guard/Amp Energy Chevrolet, signs autographs in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Apr. 29 in Richmond, Va. (Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Kyle Busch salutes the fans after winning the Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond International Raceway. (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
So, first thing’s first, who stayed up late last night, or got up super early, to watch the Royal Wedding? I didn’t do either of those things, I just Tivo’d it and fast-forwarded to the good parts this morning. All I wanted to see was her dress and I was very disappointed. It was boring and it kinda looked like the dress my aunt wore in her first wedding back in the 80s. But I’m totally off topic with all of this because this isn’t a Royal Wedding style blog now is it?
I feel like I’m behind on a lot of stuff that went down this week and last, so here’s what I’ve got.
– Scott & Amanda Speed announced this week via Twitter that they found out they’re expecting a baby girl this year. This is the couple’s first child together.
– The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil crew took part in a tailgating cook-off and grocery bagging challenge at a local Kroger store in the Richmond, Virginia area this week. The event promoted a special program that Shell & Kroger created together to help people save money on gas.
Every time race fans in the greater Richmond area make a purchase at Kroger with their Kroger Plus Card, they not only save money on their grocery bill but also earn Fuel Points that can be redeemed at the pump for savings on fuel. Kroger customers now have the opportunity to instantly redeem 100 Fuel Points to earn a 10 cent per gallon savings, or up to 1,000 Fuel Points per visit to save up to $1 per gallon at participating Shell stations. This offer is valid up to 35 gallons of fuel per purchase.
Some of the guys in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil crew show off the results of the cook-off
– Elliott Sadler headed up to Canada to promote the Nationwide Series race, the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge, that will take place at Circuit Gilles Villenuve in Montreal this August. And his birthday was coming up, so they got him a cake! Awww.
François Dumontier, president, NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge, presents Elliott Sadler with a birthday cake in Montreal. Sadler's 36th birthday is April 30. (Credit: Muriel Broussseau Photo)
Elliott Sadler gets in and starts up the pace car to take media around Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. (Credit: Muriel Broussseau Photo)
– Kyle Busch saved the day by stopping some fake robbers from stealing the $1 million purse for the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race in Charlotte.
Kyle Busch thwarted an attempted bank heist and saved the $1 million NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race purse in an event to promote the May 21 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Credit: CMS/HHP)
Kyle Busch after saving the day and rescuing the $1 million NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race purse in an event to promote the May 21 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Credit: CMS/HHP)
– Rachel Gilbert, a 100-year-old woman from Laconia, New Hampshire, took a spin around New Hampshire Motor speedway in the track’s pace car to celebrate her centennial birthday. This was such a cool thing, I love the photo of her sitting in the car looking over the steering wheel (see below).
Here’s more on what Rachel received for her major milestone birthday:
As part of this ultimate birthday celebration Gilbert and her family will receive suite passes overlooking “The Magic Mile,” where they will enjoy every lap of the LENOX Industrial Tools 301.
Gilbert will also have the opportunity to rub elbows with the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series during the Sunday morning drivers’ meeting.
The longtime race fan was surprised with this once in a lifetime opportunity from her family and Gappens. When told she would be riding around the speedway in the pace car, she was ready to leave for Loudon immediately.
Included in her birthday package was a race car cake, an official LENOX Industrial Tools 301 hat, NHMS jacket and birthday card. Her favorite driver Carl Edwards even signed and sent an official crew shirt and birthday wishes.
“My mom has always been a major race fan. She doesn’t miss a race on TV,” says daughter Marie Anne Mills.
Marie also had the opportunity to ride around the track with Gilbert. “I was more nervous than she was,” she said. “This was so wonderful.”
Rachel Gilbert drives 100 mph down the frontstretch at New Hampshire International Speedway. (Credit: Jonathan Stallsmith)
Jerry Gappens, president of New Hampshire International Speedway, presents 100-year-old Rachel Gilbert with an autographed shirt from her favorite driver Carl Edwards. (Credit: Jonathan Stallsmith)
This is my new second favorite ITAS interview of all time, it came REALLY close to beating my top favorite which is the very first one I ever did with Tony Stewart. After Kenny Wallace answered the first question with the word “Fuck” we all laughed and he said, “That’s the truth! I can lie, I can lie!” I was all of course “No! The truth is better!” I knew we were in for a super special interview. Kenny is so funny but so honest, straightforward and genuine about everything he says and does.
He’s a man on a mission to win in the No. 09 American Ethanol Toyota Camry for RAB Racing with Brock Maggard in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and I sincerely hope it happens for him. Both he and his team owner Robby Benton, were great fun to talk to when I met them both at Auto Club Speedway earlier this year.
This was such a fun interview to do, I hope you enjoy it!
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What is your favorite word? Fuck
What is your least favorite word? Negativity
What turns you on? Sex
What turns you off? Failure
What sound or noise do you love? “You’re clear,” that means I’m done jacking with that guy when I’m racing. When my spotter says, “You’re clear.”
What sound or noise do you hate? “Inside, inside, inside.” Multiple times. It means I’m getting freight-trained. It means I’m so slow everyone’s passing me.
What is your favorite curse word? See the first question.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I would like for one year to be the bat boy for the St. Louis Cardinals. I would love to do that. I love my town of St. Louis and I thought, “How cool would it be?” I hear people change professions every once in a while, I’ve raced my whole life and I think there’s 162 games in a baseball season, whether it’s 162 games or all the home games, I would love to, for one time, be the bat boy for every damn game. I love baseball.
What profession would you not like to do? This is going to sound crazy. I would never want to be a crew chief again, because I was a crew chief. There’s no win. They’re in a no-win situation. It’s never good enough and it’s never enough.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Welcome
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
Jeremy Clements is my new sentimental favorite driver. Maybe it was because Jeremy and his crew chief, Ricky Pearson, were so hospitable to me when I interviewed him at Auto Club Speedway in March but I also think it was because he was just genuinely nice and humble.
He’s working on learning as much as he can every time he gets into his racecar and he’s already achieved one of his goals for the year which was to get locked into the top-30 in owners points (they’re currently 22nd) so that he and his team wouldn’t have to worry as much about qualifying each week. Jeremy sits 16th in driver points, but they’re still hoping to have enough funding so that they can run their No. 51 www.racedaysponsor.com Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the entire year, something he’s never done before.
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What is your favorite word? Speed
What is your least favorite word? No
What turns you on? Beautiful, sexy women
What turns you off? Bad attitude and stuck up people.
What sound or noise do you love? A roaring engine.
What sound or noise do you hate? That silence before you hit the wall. The tires are screeching, there’s silence and then it’s “boom!” I hate that because you know it’s coming.
What is your favorite curse word? Fuck. I say that on the radio in the car a lot if things aren’t going right.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I’ve never even thought of that, ya know? (Me: Really?) Yeah (Me: You’ve always wanted to be a racecar driver?) Yeah, since I was in elementary school when I raced go-karts. Another profession, I’d like to be a stunt car driver, something like that. That’d be cool.
What profession would you not like to do? There’s a lot of them. I don’t ever want to work at McDonald’s or fast food, waiting on people in restaurants. I think that’d suck.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Come on in, buddy!
(Photo credit: Jeremy Clements Racing)
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
Out of all of the drivers that I’ve interviewed and asked about their goals for the year, Robert Richardson Jr. is the ONLY one that included a personal one. “Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay in shape,” said Robert. That’s admirable, and it makes me wonder what personal goals other drivers have for this year. I mean, think about it, as a woman I am CONSTANTLY turning the goals that I have for my personal life over and over in my head (it’s usually something like “Where the hell is he already!?!”). So I wonder what some of those drivers that “have it all” are working towards in their personal lives.
Anywhoo, back to Robert. He drives the No. 23 Wildlife Conservation Society Dodge for R3 Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. I spoke with him at Auto Club Speedway earlier this year and he had some pretty interesting responses.
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What is your favorite word? I’m pretty religious so I’d probably have to say, “God.” I look up to Him quite a bit.
What is your least favorite word? Any cuss word really, especially if it’s being directed at me. I don’t know, anything negative really.
What turns you on? Well, as far as hobbies & stuff I like to hunt and fish and, obviously, I like to drive racecars. I guess you can say my girlfriend turns me on, I’ll give her a little credit.
What turns you off? Not succeeding and, like I said earlier, anything negative from anybody–whether they’re putting themselves down–I just don’t like to hear that stuff. I always try to keep everybody up beat and positive. I learned that from playing football, playing quarterback, you’re a leader and you just have to keep everybody pumped up when it’s time to go.
What sound or noise do you love? Racecars obviously. I like country music, any kind of music really. I listen to rap, rock & roll, things of that nature.
What sound or noise do you hate? Fingernails on a chalkboard
What is your favorite curse word? Favorite cuss word? I don’t know, I never really thought about that. I’ll swear on occasion. (Me: It could be something you say in place of a curse word) Uhm, “Shit.”
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I was an art major in college and photography was my focus, but I was also well-rounded in painting and drawing and things like that. So I might want to pursue that at a later date.
What profession would you not like to do? Probably a police officer or working for the government.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Come on in!
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
I honestly don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner. Today I’ve launched a brand new website that will serve as a trusty companion to this site. The ‘Fabulous’ Girl’s Guide to Racing is a reference guide for all of the stats you want to know about your favorite drivers in NASCAR and INDYCAR. I think every major sports website has one of those guides where they list each player’s stats as it relates to their performance in their respective sport; things like sacks, free throws, averages and whatnot. So why not have one for racing that lists just the stuff that they usually bury?
This information isn’t exactly new–it’s already out there in different places all around the web–but now it’s housed in one convenient location that will be updated on a regular basis.
Yes, who a guy is dating or who he is married to has nothing to do with the sport they participate in, but I’m curious about it and I find it interesting. It’s not being nosey, okay, it sort of is, but I’m doing this from a distance with respect. I’m not posting rumors or gossip, I’m not making anything up. Everything that goes in the Guide will be confirmed before it’s posted, and if something’s wrong I’ll fix it.
To start, the Guide has profiles for the drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the IZOD IndyCar Series. Eventually I’ll be adding profiles for the men & women in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Firestone Indy Lights Series.
In addition to the profiles, I’ve finally got a great place to recommend racing-related products you can buy. So far there are books (I totally forgot about all the NASCAR romance novels!), cookbooks, and DVDs.
Definitely check it out, tell ALL your friends and let me know what you think!
Aric Almirola wants to win races and contend for the Championship this year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Aric pilots the No. 88 Grand Touring Vodka Chevrolet for JR Motorsports and currently sits 6th in the points standings after Talladega. I did the following interview with Aric at Auto Club Speedway back in March.
Ya know, a lot of guys have said that nails on a chalkboard is the sound or noise that they hate but I was thinking about it–who has a chalkboard these days? I mean, really, when was the last time they heard that? I guess it’s just one of those things that you just know is a really annoying sound. Actually, now that I’ve written that I’m remembering times I had in elementary school when I accidentally scraped my fingers on a chalkboard and it’s creeping me out, not so much the sound but the feeling. Good thing kids these days only have to have to deal with dry erase boards.
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What is your favorite word? I say, “Really” a lot.
What is your least favorite word? No
What turns you on? Fast cars
What turns you off? People driving slow in the fast lane.
What sound or noise do you love? The sound of an engine.
What sound or noise do you hate? Nails on a chalkboard.
What is your favorite curse word? I don’t curse very often, but I guess it’d probably have to be “Hell.” Or maybe “Damn.”
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I wouldn’t be very good at it because I’m only weigh 165 pounds, but I would love to play football. I think it’d be interesting to just play a couple downs, if I didn’t get killed. (Me: Any particular position you would want to play?) I think I’d like to play wide receiver but only if the ball is thrown to me. I don’t want to play wide receiver if I’m just running around or having to block for the running back. I’d want the ball thrown to me every down.
What profession would you not like to do? Hockey, for sure. I would not play hockey. All of those guys are missing teeth and they always fight. Hockey is not for me. I can’t even watch hockey. I understand it, I understand the concept, but for me watching it is even tough because you can’t see that little black puck it goes so fast.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Heaven does exist, in my mind, so that’s not even a question for me. If I’m waiting on God to say something hopefully it’s “Come in.”
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
There was a point during the last 30 laps of the Aaron’s 499 where I told myself to just let go of whatever outcome I was hoping to see and just let it happen. Is it funny or sad that I get so wrapped up in these races that I need to tell myself something like that? I have absolutely nothing at stake but I still get so caught up in wanting a certain person, or persons, to win that I’ll stress myself out over it.
Anyway, I couldn’t believe Jimmie Johnson pulled off that win; I was sure it was going to go to one of the Richard Childress Racing guys. Clint Bowyer had been running up front all day and Kevin Harvick has been, well, winning.
When I saw Jimmie trying to give the checkered flag to Dale Earnhardt Jr. I knew Dale wasn’t going to want it. It was a really classy move by Jimmie, I must say. As much as I would have been ridiculously thrilled for Dale Jr. to have come away with the win I’m still insanely excited that he’s 3rd in points right now. That’s just fantastic. O! And another fantastic thing: Huge congrats to David Gilliland and the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford team for walking away with a 9th place finish!
Every week when the latest points standings are published I read through them and then create my own “fantasy” top-12, it’s the list of drivers that I think would make for a super entertaining Champion’s Week. So it’s not a “Who do you think WILL make The Chase?” list, it’s a “Who do you WANT to see in the Chase because you know they’ll be superfun to interview during Champion’s Week?” It’s really early to be thinking about Champion’s Week but I can’t help it, it’s my favorite time of the year.
My current list is as follows (in no particular order):
1.) Tony Stewart – He has to host his annual “Stewie Awards” from Vegas, it wouldn’t be the same with him.
2.) Clint Bowyer – He needs his own talk show to host during Champion’s Week. I’m just sayin’.
3.) Kasey Kahne – He’s adorable
4.) Dale Earnhardt Jr. – People will lose their minds
5.) Kevin Harvick – Another guy with personality
6.) Denny Hamlin – Denny adds a layer of honesty and he likes to instigate drama (or at least he did at last year’s After the Lap event)
7.) Brian Vickers – Because he had some good stories to tell about Jimmie Johnson, and I’m sure there has to be more right??
8.) Jimmie Johnson – I’m including Jimmie because he’s a good sport, not because I want him to win a 6th straight championship.
9.) Brad Keselowski – I think he’d have a ridiculously good time to Vegas and would be very entertaining at the various events.
10.) Jeff Gordon – Jeff has that honesty vibe too, and he’s also very chatty. Chatty & honest are two ingredients for good times.
11) AJ Allmendinger – He’s someone that can definitely bring a lot of comedy relief.
12) Kyle Busch – Another honest guy with a personality that lends itself perfectly to the Champion’s Week festivities. Plus he’s the hometown guy.
(Left to right) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Joey Logano and Trevor Bayne talk in the garage during practice Friday at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, talks with crew chief Alan Gustafson at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. (Courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports)
Elliott Sadler celebrates winning his seventh career NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Award with a 179.558 mph lap on Friday at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. (Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR)
Michael Waltrip will start 12th on Sunday in the No.15 Aaron's/Auburn National Champions Toyota at Talladega Superspeedway (Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
2011 Hall of Fame Inductee Bobby Allison on pit road with Brad Keselowski before the start of the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Fans watch Jimmie Johnson cross the finish line .002 seconds ahead of Clint Boywer at Talladega Superspeedway. Johnson's win ties the record for closest finish in NASCAR history. (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Crew chief Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrate in Victory Lane at Talladega. (Courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports)
What are Michael Annett’s goals for this year? “Definitely to be consistently running in the top-10 each weekend,” said Annett. “Hopefully those top-10 runs turn into top-5s and that gets us top-3, top-5 in points.”
I had the opportunity to interview Michael, driver of the No. 62 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota for Rusty Wallace Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last month.
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What is your favorite word? Tenacious
What is your least favorite word? Soggy
What turns you on? As far as?? (Me: Anything) I like anything with some chrome on it. A good looking truck or a good looking boat, or anything like that.
What turns you off? People with bad attitudes.
What sound or noise do you love? Sound of cars running at their highest performance. That second right before you hear the rev limiter go off. The sound right before that.
What sound or noise do you hate? Probably nails on a chalkboard or even fingernails on a paperback book, on paper, that bothers me too.
What is your favorite curse word? Probably “Fuck.” Pretty easy.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Professional bull riding.
What profession would you not like to do? I would hate to be an author. (Me: An author?) Yeah, I hate reading books, writing papers, anything. I hate that.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Hopefully, he says, “Welcome.” I hope so.
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
I was just thinking, if you had told me 5 years ago that I would be asking NASCAR drivers what turns them on right now, I would have told you you were nuts. But now it’s just my reality.
I interviewed Jason Leffler at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He drives the No. 38 Great Clips Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Jason is one cool dude and was the first person to answer “favorite curse word” with such a smooth delivery I actually had to complement him on it.
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What is your favorite word? Fast
What is your least favorite word? No
What turns you on? Besides hot girls? Race cars.
What turns you off? Slow race cars.
What sound or noise do you love? Sound of an engine.
What sound or noise do you hate? Alarm clock
What is your favorite curse word? Fuck
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I want to be an actor.
What profession would you not like to do? I wouldn’t want to be the president.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Look at this beautiful race track, you can race for eternity here.
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
J.J. Yeley has a great name doesn’t he? It’s one of those names that’s just fun to pronounce.
I interviewed him at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and totally dug his attitude towards making some noise in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series these days. J.J. drives the No. 46 Chevrolet for Whitney Motorsports and he had this to say when I asked him about his goals for this year: “My goal for the way things are right now are to help this small team that I’ve been driving for find a sponsor to where we can go out and prove to people that even though we’re a small group of guys that we can still get the job done. It’s a lot of fun being the underdog when you go to the race track because the expectations that people have for you are low, but to go out there and surprise people is a lot of fun.”
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What is your favorite word? Sweet
What is your least favorite word? It’s usually when I hear my name, because it means I’m in trouble. Least favorite word? I don’t think I have a least favorite word. Oh, I know “Hot,” when people say, “Oh, that’s hot.”
What turns you on? Smiles. I like when people smile.
What turns you off? Attitude
What sound or noise do you love? My daughter laughing.
What sound or noise do you hate? The alarm clock.
What is your favorite curse word? I’ve cut way back on that because I have a 6-year-old. But I would say it’s a four-letter word. (Me: But which one?) Let’s leave it as a four-letter word because sometimes it varies.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? If I was not a race car driver, based on my life, I would become a taxi driver. (Me: Really?) Sure, ‘cause it’s the closest thing to racing. You get to drive a car really fast, completely ignore everyone around you. (Me: This is true) Yea, I think it’d be fun.
What profession would you not like to do? I wouldn’t want to be a dentist.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? I get to sit in the big chair.
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
I feel so incredibly late with this post, and I apologize for that. There’s something about Sunday that makes me really not want to do anything that I “should” do.
And to make matters worse I didn’t even write anything about the race at Martinsville. Ya know, the one where Dale Earnhardt Jr. made me mental. When he took the lead I muted the television and began yelling my TV screen. Of course it didn’t work because Kevin Harvick had to be all good and everything and win the race. Despite not making my life and winning that race I’m so incredibly PROUD of Mr. Dale Jr. because he’s in the Top 12 in points, which is just awesome all by itself. One last thing about Martinsville, Harvick shouldn’t have said anything about “being the bad guy.” He did what he was supposed to do–anything and everything he could to win that race. He’s not supposed to worry about the feelings of JR Nation. Just race, that’s all we ask.
Soo, on to this past weekend at Texas. Congratulations to Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 Crown Royal Black team! That was a great win and I’m always stoked for someone to win a race when it’s been a REEEEEALLLLLLY long time since they last had one.
Here’s one housekeeping note: I recently launched The Fast and the Fabulous mobile application. Now you can receive alerts and stuff on your cell phone, if it uses the Android operating system. Look for it in the Android Market on your cell phone. Just search for “The Fast and the Fabulous” or “NASCAR.” There’s a solution coming soon for iPhones so stay tuned for that.
Josh Aron stands by the No. 11 FedEx Office/March of Dimes Toyota, in the garage area prior to practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Apr. 7 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
David Ragan, driver of the No. 6 UPS Freight Ford, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Apr. 7 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota, climbs in his car during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Apr. 8 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet, talks his father, Nelson, during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Apr. 7 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, hugs a fan in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Apr. 7 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Carl Edwards joins the fans following his win in the NASCAR Nationwide Series 15th Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. (Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Lead singer Brad Arnold and drummer Greg Upchurch of 3 Doors Down perform prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. (Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Going for a weekend sweep, Carl Edwards greets fans prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Matt Kenseth celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR)
I didn’t realize exactly how tall Joey Logano is until I interviewed him at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was right after his Sprint Cup Series qualifying run and I found myself standing next to him thinking, “Heey, he’s really tall!” You don’t get a lot of racecar drivers that are noticeably tall, tall. He’s 6’1″. Anyway, Joey was funny. Having just transcribed this and heard his responses again I realized he didn’t actually answer a couple of them. I think that’s a first.
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What is your favorite word? Wicked
What is your least favorite word? [laughs] I don’t have a PG rated answer for that one. (Me: Really? For your least favorite word?) What is your least favorite word? I don’t have one.
What turns you on? Racecars
What turns you off? Every answer I come up with is not a good answer. (Me: [Inaudible]) No, it’s just not a good answer for me to say. That’s a loaded question (Me: No, it’s not. Just think of it as something you don’t like) Lying. I don’t like lying.
What sound or noise do you love? A big ol’ motor.
What sound or noise do you hate? Knives against a plate, or chalkboard scratch, that kind of thing.
What is your favorite curse word? Depends on the moment. [laughs]
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I never really thought about trying anything else. Maybe hockey, I enjoy hockey a lot. Hockey’s cool.
What profession would you not like to do? I would not want to sit behind a desk all day, that’d be hard for me.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Come on in!
When I arrived at Steve Wallace’s hauler to interview him at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the day before his Nationwide Series race, I could tell he wasn’t having a very good day. He hadn’t said anything yet and he seemed like he’d rather not have to do an interview. As you’ll see in the interview below, the source of his annoyance reveals itself. At the end of the questioning I asked him what his goals are for this year and Steve said, “Definitely win some races, run good. We’re really plenty capable of it. We’ve just had a really shitty start to the year and haven’t had luck on our side. Our cars aren’t handling as good as they need to, so we’ve got a lot to fix.”
I will say, though, that as we went through the questions he seemed to relax and overall I dug his answers, especially what he’d like to hear God say when he gets to heaven.
For the record at Las Vegas he ended up finishing 16th, which isn’t super terrible, and the following race at Bristol he finished 11th (Better!), then 27th at Auto Club Speedway (Uh oh). So it looks like they’re still got their work cut out for them.
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What is your favorite word? Dude
What is your least favorite word? Y’all
What turns you on? In what way? (Me: In whatever way you think. Think of it as, like, what makes you happy) What makes me happy. When my car’s fast. Today it’s not. I’m not happy today. Or yesterday. (Me: But you can work on that, right?) Yeah.
What turns you off? People with chips on their shoulders.
What sound or noise do you love? Engines
What sound or noise do you hate? Loud screeching noises, like nails on a chalkboard. Anything that squeals.
What is your favorite curse word? The F-bomb.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Professional fisherman.
What profession would you not like to do? Aw shit, there’s a bunch of them. Anything that has to do with an office would not be good for me.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? That I’m a badass, that’s about it.
—
Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
This interview with Justin Allgaier took place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the same weekend that he finished second in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Sam’s Town 300, just behind his part-time Turner Motorsports teammate Mark Martin. It was a huge weekend for those guys.
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What is your favorite word? Rollability. It’s a word that came from trying to figure out how to make the racecars go faster and it just kind of stuck. I don’t know if it’s a word or not.
What is your least favorite word? “Like” because I say it all the time and it drives me nuts and I try to keep myself from saying it.
What turns you on? My wife.
What turns you off? Bad smells.
What sound or noise do you love? I actually like the sound of fire. The cracking and the popping of fire. I’ve always really liked that sound.
What sound or noise do you hate? Ambulances or emergency vehicles. The sirens, I can’t stand sirens.
What is your favorite curse word? I don’t really cuss, that kind of eliminates my favorite curse word. (Me: Do you have something you say in place of a curse word?) I say, “Eff” a lot. It’s kind of odd but that’s my curse word, I guess, if I have one.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? The graphic arts industry. I started out when I was younger doing my own decals on my racecars and I absolutely love it.
What profession would you not like to do? Anything to do with sewers or sewage. We were actually reading at thing today about how they’re going to turn sewage water into drinking water and that really bothers me. So that would definitely not be a profession I would want to be in.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Just to say that I did the right thing. I think that would be the most important.
—
Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
Johnny Sauter won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville on Saturday, but he won on Tuesday, too! Johnny’s wife, Cortney, gave birth to the couple’s second child, a baby girl they’ve named Paige Gertrude Sauter (left). Paige joins her older brother, Penn.
Congratulations Cortney & Johnny!
In other supercute kid news…
– Just before the Auto Club 500 in California a couple weeks ago Jeff Gordon made an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres show and shared the cutest story about why his daughter, Ella, wants to be a racer driver one day. If your ovaries don’t weep from this one I don’t know what to tell you.
Ellen: I heard that Ella told you she wants to be a racecar driver?
Jeff: I get asked this all the time. Do you want your daughter to be a racecar driver? I just want to approach it the same way that my parents approached it with me and my sister. Whatever opportunities or passions you see as a parent your kids interested in, pursue that and see where that takes them. That’s what happened with me. We found racing at a young age. My parents introduced me to it and it just took off. I hadn’t thought about it a whole lot, certainly with my daughter, and we were driving down the road the other day and out of nowhere, she said, “Papa, I want to be a racecar driver.” And I said, “You do? Why do you want to be a racecar driver?” [She said] “Because I love you.” It just crushed me and at the same time, I thought, “Oh, now I’m going to have to get a racecar.” Laughs
JEFF GORDON makes an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Friday, March 25th, 2011 (photo credit: Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.)
(Paige Sauter photo credit: Cortney Sauter Facebook page)
Here is my “impromptu” interview with Kasey Kahne that took place at Auto Club Speedway a couple weeks ago. When we got to his least favorite word Kasey said, “I don’t know, these are really tough. This is the hardest interview I’ve had in a long time.” We left that question, went through the rest and came back to it at the end. Also, of note, when he said “Nice” for his first answer he drew out the “ce” sound, so it sounded more like “Nighssss.”
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What is your favorite word? Nice
What is your least favorite word? Retard
What turns you on? Girls
What turns you off? Negative people.
What sound or noise do you love? Music
What sound or noise do you hate? Screaming. I hate screaming.
What is your favorite curse word? Fuck
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I’d like to be a golfer. Actually, I’d like to be a bull rider.
What profession would you not like to do? I really wouldn’t want to be a garbage man.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Hi.
—
Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California started out with the customary trip to THE Starbucks. I call it “THE Starbucks” because it’s the one everybody goes to during the race weekend, and by everybody I mean literally everybody. It could be groups of fans apart of some racing package deal or pit crew members, PR people, and NASCAR drivers. I always see someone. On Saturday morning it was Michael Waltrip and Michael Waltrip Racing general manager Ty Norris. Sunday I chatted about the weather with a pit crew guy that recognized me from the garage.
Saturday in Fontana started out with Nationwide Series qualifying. Heather and I hung out in the media bull pen area and watched as the cars came through. It was pretty routine so this is a good time to talk about the children I saw in the garage that weekend. There were TONS of them. The new NASCAR rule allowing kids in the garage has made a big impact because I’ve never seen so many little boys and girls getting photos and autographs.
Thursday evening in Fontana, after I checked into my hotel just down the street from the race track, I discovered I forgot my cell phone charger at home. So I went to a Best Buy down the street to get another one. Then in the morning I woke up and found that I had left the pouch that holds all of my cords, USB drives and–most importantly–my digital recorder that still had a bunch of interviews on it from Las Vegas that I had yet to transcribe. I made a silent prayer that it was somewhere safe and then headed back to Best Buy to buy another one ’cause I had interviews to do that day.
I woke up at 4:30am to the sounds of soft rock playing from my alarm clock. I marveled for a moment at the fact that I didn’t feel super horrible waking up that early in the morning. I usually feel terrible and have to think of a million things to psych myself up to get going but I didn’t have to that last Thursday morning.
I didn’t get to meet Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, and ask him these questions in person but he was super gracious to send over his answers via email. Good stuff.
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What is your favorite word? Winning
What is your least favorite word? Can’t
What turns you on? My wife
What turns you off? Germs
What sound or noise do you love? The quiet sound of my son’s breath when he falls asleep on my shoulder
What sound or noise do you hate? Fingers down the chalkboard
What is your favorite curse word? Try not to use them much
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Professional bass fisherman
What profession would you not like to do? Ice Road Trucker
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Well done my son!
—
Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
So, I have to tell you guys something. Jennifer Jo Cobb is my new hero. I couldn’t respect this woman more. She has a passion for racing that is obvious and deep. I spoke with her at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, well before the brouhaha occurred at Bristol, and it was clear to me then that she wasn’t someone that was casual or wishy-washy about her racing career.
When I asked her about the goals she has set for herself in the NASCAR Nationwide Series she answered without hesitation. “Win Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year,” said Jennifer, “And improve my position each and every week to become a respectable competitor in this series.”
I really, really hope that she can be as successful as she wants to be in NASCAR. We need more strong women in NASCAR, not just behind the scenes and in support roles, but also on the track.
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What is your favorite word? Fabulous (Me: Good answer!)
What is your least favorite word? Can’t
What turns you on? Going very, very fast
What turns you off? Going very, very slow
What sound or noise do you love? The engine of a race car
What sound or noise do you hate? The alarm clock
What is your favorite curse word? I say “Freaking” more than anything.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? CIA. Sometimes I think about what I do as a living and I’m like, “Does it matter? Is it making a difference? Or is it all just fun?” And so I think I would love to work this hard, as hard as we work, for a mission that really counts for something. It has a beginning, it has an end, it has a “mission accomplished.” (Me: I think that what you do is very inspiring to other female drivers) I’ve been thinking that lately, especially my story. I hope it provides hope for people. So maybe that gives what I do a little more meaning.
What profession would you not like to do? EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). I wouldn’t want to put my hands in someone else’s blood.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Oh, this is easy. I want to know where all the things I have lost have gone. But what would I want to hear him say? Job well done.
(photo credit: cobbracingteam.com
—
Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
I’m driving down to Southern California for the Auto Club 500 race weekend at Auto Club Speedway on Thursday. Eaaaarly Thursday morning, to be exact. Clint Bowyer is launching “Speedway Day L.A.” on the steps of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles, and then immediately following that he’ll go on a tour of L.A. with media and race fans on a double-decker bus. I’m getting on the bus! You know how much I enjoyed my time on the double-decker bus in Vegas during Champion’s Week, so there was no way I was missing out on this opportunity.
The festivities will start at Noon at City Hall (200 N. Spring Street at 1st Street in Los Angeles), then we’ll stop by Elvis’ star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame around 1:30pm (Southeast corner of Hollywood Blvd and N. La Brea Blvd. in Hollywood), then walk down to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre between 1:30 & 2:10pm, and then we’re going to In-N-Out Burger where Clint will serve ice-cold Coke to people around 2:15pm, and then we’ll return to City Hall.
Fun right? Totally looking forward to it, and it makes up for the fact that I’ll be missing out on Tony Stewart’s appearance in the San Francisco Bay Area that’s also taking place on Thursday (more about that below).
I was checking out the weather forecast for Fontana on Weather.com and it looks like it’s supposed to rain on Friday. So there’s a 40% chance that qualifying will be rained out. I would rather that it didn’t.
In other news…
– Grammy award winning artist Richard Marx (right) will perform the National Anthem before the start of the Auto Club 500 this week. I, for one, am SO EXCITED about this news. I LOVE Richard Marx! I mean, hello, “Endless Summer Nights,” “Right Here Waiting,” “Hold on to the Nights,” “Should’ve Known Better,” “Now and Forever,” and my personal extra fave “Hazard.” The man is a musical genius and I adore him.
– Another dude that I loved from my days as a pre-teen/teen is Christian Slater. “Heathers,” you guys. Oh! And “Untamed Heart”, that movie was, like, the most romantic movie to me until I saw Leo DiCaprio in “Romeo + Juliet.” Do I need to say more? He’s in a new TV show for FOX so I’m sure that’s why he was named the Grand Marshal for Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway. I’m not mad about that at all.
– Like I mentioned Tony Stewart will be stopping by the Bay Area on Thursday to hang out at the Oakland Zoo. He’s going to give the resident male elephant, Osh, a “pedicure” with the help of the Elephant Manager Jeff Kinzley. There will be a fan & media Q&A session with Tony held in the Marian Zimmer Auditorium and it should start around 1:15pm. Fans can get a $2 discount on admission to the zoo (for this Thursday only) by mentioning “Infineon Raceway at the ticket booth.
– Another Thursday driver event is taking place at the Stonewood Center Best Buy Mobile in Downey, Calif. Casey Mears and AJ Allmendinger will be on hand with Miss Sprint Cup Monica Palumbo from 6pm to 8pm to take photos, and sign autographs for fans. On Sunday Casey and AJ will be racing each other in a “race within a race” in order to win $5,000 from Sprint for the charity of their choice. Casey has selected Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and AJ has picked Paralyzed Veterans of America.
Was the only thing that was interesting about the Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol the driver introductions that we didn’t even get to see? I would say “Yes.” They couldn’t show ONE of the driver’s walking into their song?? I know it costs money to get the rights to play the songs on air but Fox doesn’t have money for JUST ONE?!
I Tivo’d the pre-race show, as has become a new rule so that I can skip the crappy parts (80% of it), and I made sure I went through it TWICE to make sure I didn’t miss a moment where they might have shown an intro and I didn’t find anything. Instead, there was some thing with Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond and some diagram that looked like the board game “Operation” or something. I dunno, I was fast forwarding.
Anyway, Kyle Busch’s weekend sweep was impressive, of course. The deal that went down between Jennifer Jo Cobb and the owner of 2nd Chance Motorsports was far more interesting than anything either race had to offer. Jennifer Jo Cobb is all about racing, why would someone who has stated several times that her goal this year is contend for Rookie of the Year in the Nationwide Series ever want to “start & park”? I mean, c’mon, she’s all about racing. I sincerely wish her all the best and hope she can get something together that’ll help her reach her goal. What she did on Saturday took guts. It would have been way easier to just run the few laps and get out of the car, but she stood up for herself and I think that’s awesome. That’s a person I can root for!
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet, participates in a media session on March 18 at Bristol. (Courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr celebrates winning the Coors Light Pole Award for the NASCAR Nationwide Scotts EZ Seed 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Crew Members working on pit road during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice at Bristol Motor Speedway (Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
Kasey Kahne watches practice at Bristol Motor Speedway. Kahne was fourth fastest in practice with a top speed of 127.929mph. (Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Jeff Gordon looks on as his crew makes adjustments to the No. 24 Pepsi Max Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Elliott Sadler watches practice after posting the third quickest lap of 15.677 seconds in NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice at Bristol Motor Speedway (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Danica Patrick shows her frustration after an incident on lap 248 during the Scotts EZ Seed 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway (Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Ingrid Vandebosch, wife of Jeff Gordon, with their son Leo before the start of the Jeff Byrd 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) |
Jimmie Johnson hold his daughter, Genevieve, before the start of the Jeff Byrd 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) |
Kyle Busch performs a burnout on the front stretch after winning the Jeff Byrd 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Miss Sprint Cup Kim Coon
Now that I’ve finally finished up my Vegas posts I can get to some of the other stuff that’s happened recently.
Monday night was the finale of the 15th season of “The Bachelor.” I was surprised to see Emily Maynard “win” (I don’t like to think of it as “winning” so much as just being the best person for that particular person ’cause those other women aren’t losers, ya know what I mean?) and become engaged to Brad Womack. I’m happy for her, but I’m also really happy that she thought it best to wait to get married until after they’ve lived with each other in the “real” world. All in all definitely hope for the best for those two.
So here’s the fun/interesting news tip that Tara S. sent me. Apparently the newest Miss Sprint Cup, Kim Coon was a contestant on this season of The Bachelor, as well. I had no idea there was another NASCAR connection on the show. Kim was eliminated at the 3rd rose ceremony.
In other news…
– NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jamie McMurray swapped rides with IndyCar Series driver Scott Dixon today at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
McMurray, on the car-swapping opportunity: I think it’s cool that the racetracks came together and were able to let us help promote those races and make it fun for us. For me, getting to drive this is a great opportunity. It’s a lot of money to come and do something like this, so it worked out well that they were already here testing. For Chip to bring his car down to Talladega and let Scott drive it, it’s hard to put those two together, because it costs so much money.
Dixon, on the possibility of becoming a Sprint Cup driver: Well, there’s no $5 million prize in NASCAR, so no, I’m not going. (Laughing.) Obviously, I’m intrigued by it. Sprint Cup is a massive sport, and has a huge following. I think the thing that’s most intriguing, as you’ve seen by the people who have tried to make the transition or have made the transition, it’s 43 cars that are very, very tight and very, very close. I think the tough part for me would be actually doing the 36 races a year. That’s a lot of travel.
(All photos courtesy of INDYCAR)
– In his pre-race press release for Bristol, Clint Bowyer shared the story of what happened after his engine blew up at the spring race at Bristol last year:
You finished 40th last year after you blew an engine. What do you do after? Do you hang out? Go home?
“You have to go home and it’s not much fun. Funny story – I was driving and on my way home I about ripped the leather off the steering wheel because I was so mad. I pulled in to get gas down the road and the cashier had a little TV behind the counter watching the race. I told him how much money I put in and he looked at me, looked at the TV, looked at me again and said ‘why are you here?’ I said ‘long story; don’t ask.’ It was actually pretty funny.”
– REMINDER: Enter to win a Richard Petty Driving Experience ride-along at Bristol in August.
I had to get up really, really early on Sunday morning in order to get to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in time to take a ride in the pace car with NASCAR’s Director of Competition, Research & Development Brett Bodine.
On Saturday morning in Las Vegas the first and only thing I scheduled to do that day was interview Jennifer Jo Cobb. She was great and it was awesome to find out that her favorite word is “Fabulous.” Smart lady!
Friday morning in Las Vegas started with me arriving at the track just in time to interview J.J. Yeley at his hauler. But I found out that he had been asked to drive the No. 27 car for Baker Curb Racing in the Nationwide Series race. So he was participating in their practice session and wouldn’t be available till later in the day (We did end up connecting later in the day and I got some great answers from him).
When it was clear that Tony Stewart was the winner of the first annual Hottest Driver Tournament I was happy. Not because I’m a fan of his, or that I have some “thing” for him, which I don’t. Nope, it was purely for the fact that I knew I would definitely be able to present him with the award. If Dale Earnhardt Jr. had won this thing I doubt I would have had the opportunity to give him the award, let alone do it in person.
I love a good NASCAR-related commercial. I really do. Those Sponsifier commercials are on point this year. But I was recently asked to help promote TUMS’ new NASCAR campaign that features Michael Waltrip Racing driver David Reutimann and his team owner, Michael Waltrip.
Their new TV commercial features Michael getting beat up by a rib, which is really funny to me and also very disturbing in the same instance. The whole food fighting you concept is both smart and creepy, but mostly smart because it totally plays up the importance of TUMS’ product. Anyway, I can appreciate that.
TUMS has added a new component of their campaign and that’s the following video in which we see a giant hamburger challenge David Reutimann to a duel, of sorts. The cool part is that you get to chose the ending. Does David fight back and take TUMS or not? You decide!
My favorite part is when Michael Waltrip slowly closes the doors on his hauler. Funny!
TUMS, Michael and David were on hand at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Friday and it was fun to hear them talk about their experience in creating the videos, mostly Reutimann cracking up at Waltrip having a remote controlled rib smack him in the face repeatedly.
Be on the lookout for more videos from TUMS on their Facebook page.
I set out for my Las Vegas adventure last Wednesday. I drove my VW Eos for 9 hours all the while listening to “The Howard Stern Show.” This was during the height of the Charlie Sheen craziness so the sound clip of Charlie uttering his trademark “Winning” catchphrase has been permanently emblazoned on my brain. It is the one word to describe my entire race weekend experience. But not in a “I’m losing so bad I’m winning” way, it’s more of an “I feel like I’m actually winning, doing good and making progress” kind of way.
What would have made Jeff Gordon’s win at Phoenix better? Ella and Leo, of course! Sucked they weren’t in Victory Lane with their papa but the win itself was great. I always love seeing a driver get emotional after a win. I’m always looking for something real, and by that I mean just something genuine to remind me that these guys really love what it is that they do and that it means more to them than just fame and money.
To me it’s easier to see the lows and the highs in this sport, than it is in others. A basketball team might lose one night and then win on another, or maybe go 5 games without a win but eventually a win comes up in that same season. But in NASCAR these guys can go YEARS without a win. It just makes it so much sweeter when it happens.
I cannot wait to get to Las Vegas this week. I’m driving down there on Wednesday, it’s my first race of the season and it feels like I’m going to summer camp or something. On Thursday I’ll be at Tony Stewart’s autograph session at Office Depot (1435 West Craig Road, North Las Vegas) at 12:30pm. If you want to get something signed ya gotta get a wristband first (one per person), which they’re distributing to the first 600 people starting at 8am the day of the event. Then you have to get on line for the autograph sesh no later than 1:30pm. This is all local/Las Vegas time.
Before Tony signs stuff for fans I’m presenting him with the 2011 Hottest Driver Tourney “trophy” and I sincerely hope he likes it. I already have anxiety about that whole thing. I’m sure it’ll be fine, though.
Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne is congratulated by NASCAR driver Danica Patrick on Thursday in Phoenix, Ariz. Bayne and Patrick made a special appearance at Phoenix International Raceway's annual "Night of Champions" charity event. (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Phoenix International Raceway)
Five-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson looks on as his team adjusts his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet during practice for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. (Credit: Christian Peterson/Getty Images)
(L-R) Chicago White Sox players Adam Dunn, A.J. Pierzynski, Mark Buehrle, John Danks and Gordon Beckham pose with Ryan Truex before the Bashas' Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. (Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Grand Marshal Apolo Anton Ohno watches the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 from the No. 99 pit box of Carl Edwards. (Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Actress Emmy Rossum, who sang the national anthem, poses with Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne before getting a ride around Phoenix International Raceway. (Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A Brian Vickers spin on the backstretch triggered a 14-car accident which included Jamie McMurray, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Dale Earnhardt Jr. The race was red flagged for 14 minutes and 4 seconds. (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Jeff Gordon douses new crew chief Alan Gustafson with champagne after ending his 66-race winless streak with his SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 victory. (Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
You’ve seen the engagement photos, you’ve seen the wedding photos but now you can see Samantha and Kyle Busch’s wedding video. Well, it’s more like a one-hour television special. “Fast and Fabulous: A NASCAR Wedding” will air next Saturday, March 5 at 8pm ET/PT on the Style Network.
Trevor Bayne continued his “Miss America Tour,” that’s what I like to call it (Because don’t you remember when winning Miss America was an actual big deal and they always did a TON of press afterward? Well I do and it’s the only thing I can compare it to), wherein he does various media interviews and appearances to celebrate winning the Daytona 500.
He was in San Francisco yesterday at Ghiradelli Square to scoop some ice cream and meet fans:
Bayne arrived in San Francisco late Tuesday afternoon and was driven from the airport under California Highway Patrol escort to Ghirardelli Square, where he walked the red carpet before assembling the very first Trevor Bayne Sundae, Sundae, Sundae, featuring rocky road, chocolate chip and chocolate ice cream, as well multiple toppings and all the fixins. The item is currently a feature on the Ghirardelli Square Ice Cream Parlor menu.
(credit: Getty Images)
I was there and it was freezing out. I’m from California and so anything under 60 degrees is not good. I had no gloves and I quickly lost feeling in my toes and my fingers. I’m not kidding. My cell phone lost battery power after 30 minutes and it was friggin’ cold so I didn’t stay for the WHOLE shindig, but I did get to see a bunch of foreign tourists ask everyone what the hell was the going on and watch their expression not change when people told them that the Daytona 500 winner was coming. I also got to see serious NASCAR fans cheer and go crazy for Trevor as he exited his Escalade. I watched Trevor happily recreate his triple-scoop sundae. I didn’t try the sundae myself but I did manage to get my numb fingers to grasp the cup that held a small single-scoop hot fudge sundae they were giving away for free to fans, even though I was FREEZING I couldn’t pass up free–delicious!–ice cream.
All in all it was a very cool and fun event. It was neat to see non-NASCAR fans stop to see what was going on and then once they were told who it was go “Oh! That’s the youngest person to win the Daytona 500!” That’s gotta be good for NASCAR, right?
Trevor was in Los Angeles today and he filmed an appearance for “The Ellen Degeneres Show” that will air tomorrow, Thursday, February 24. Check your local listings, of course. Ellen presented Trevor with a gift — a hula dancer dash board bobble head and a personalized ELLEN car sticker — which you can see in the photo below.
On winning the race…
Trevor: The Daytona 500, to me, has always meant a lot. I grew up wanting to win it as a kid but I didn’t know it meant this much to the rest of the world so to see these kind of fans and this crazy stuff going on, I love it.
Ellen: You must have girls all of a sudden going crazy over you because you’re adorable and now you’re getting all this attention. You getting proposals and stuff like that all ready?
Trevor: Well, I didn’t have a Valentine this year so I’m hoping for better things next year.
Ellen: You will. I think you’ll be okay.
In other news…
– Yesterday Michael Waltrip’s oldest daughter, Caitlin, gave birth to a baby boy named Bryson.
– Danica Patrick and Carl Edwards will make appearances on the inaugural sports awards show, Cartoon Network Hall of Game Awards. Danica will pick up the “She’s Got Game” Award (aka Best Female Athlete) and Carl is a presenter. The show, hosted by Jimmie Johnson’s friend Tony Hawk, airs on the Cartoon Network at 7 p.m. (ET) on Friday, February 25th.
Matt and Katie Kenseth welcomed their second daughter into the world today!
The official announcement from the family:
Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford with Roush Fenway Racing, and his wife Katie welcomed a new bundle of joy into their family early Tuesday morning with the birth of the couple’s second daughter. Grace Katherine Kenseth was born February 22 at 3:49 a.m. EST weighing in at seven pounds and eight ounces. Both mother and daughter are doing well as the family welcomes Grace into the family to join their other daughter Kaylin and son Ross.
Kenseth will be able to spend a few days with his brand new baby girl before traveling out west for this weekend’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Kenseth has earned top-ten finishes in his last two races at the track as the No. 17 team looks to rebound from a 34th-place finish at Daytona last weekend after getting caught up in a multi-car wreck early in the race.
Repaved Daytona International Speedway = Racing INSANITY!
It was nerve-wracking to watch but still superfun!
Congratulations to Trevor Bayne and Wood Brothers Racing. What an amazing finish! I was flabbergasted at that finish, but NOT because of Trevor Bayne. I’m happy for the kid and all that, and for the Wood Brothers, but I’m going to be honest, I was more stoked for David Gilliland. When I saw Carl Edwards had hooked up with David I start screaming at the television. I really, really, really wanted David to get up there and contend for the win, but I was totally satisfied with his 3rd place finish. He’s 2nd in points right now, and I know that’s only after one race but it’s a really great start!
I know it’s not Festivus, but I’d like to air some grievances. Ok, there’s really only one and it’s about the post-race coverage from Fox Sports. They didn’t interview David Gilliland post-race, but they did interview David Ragan who finished 14th. I understand why they talked to Ragan ’cause he made a small mistake that ended up possibly costing him the race (I say possibly because there’s no way to know for sure that had he not been black flagged he would of won), BUT if you only have limited time wouldn’t you automatically go to the top-3?! Ugh.
Anyway, I understand that directing and coordinating a live broadcast is hard and for the most part they get it right but it’s still really annoying when they mess up.
I’m EXTRA excited for Phoenix. I’ve decided not to attend that race, I’m still really looking forward to watching what happens. I’m still going to Las Vegas for sure and I CANNOT wait to get there.
Back to Trevor Bayne really quick, he’ll be at Ghiradelli Square tomorrow (Tuesday, February 22) in San Francisco at 5:30pm to create the “Trevor Bayne Sundae, Sundae, Sundae” and then he’ll be in Los Angeles on Wednesday at a free fan event at L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles (800 W. Olympic Blvd.) at noon.
Kasey Kahne signs autographs for fans in the garage Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Michael Waltrip celebrates in victory lane with his No.15 crew after winning the 2011 NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Tony Stewart celebrates with his crew in victory lane after winning the Drive4COPD 300 Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Danica Patrick talks to Dale Earnhardt Jr. about the No.7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in the Garage during practice at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Brad Paisley entertains the crowd during the pre-race show before the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Not a very good command at all. But I love the Transformers race cars.
Honorary Grand Marshals Michael Bay, Josh Duhamel and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley give the command to start the engines for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Brandon Goodman/Getty Images for NASCAR)
The Baltimore Raven’s Ray Rice visits the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage and takes a look in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Motorsports Images and Archives)
National Anthem singer Patty Loveless shows her support for Drive4COPD Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Martina McBride sings the National Anthem before the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: ISC Archives/Getty Images)
Dierks Bentley performs during the Daytona 500 pre-race show Sunday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Great moment–I held up 3 fingers too even though I wasn’t there!
The fans salute Dale Earnhardt on lap 3 by holding up three fingers during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway at Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Carl Edwards and David Ragan congratulate Trevor Bayne in victory lane after the 53rd Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a ride around Bristol Motor Speedway? Well, now is your chance. Thanks to the Richard Petty Driving Experience I am giving away two (2) Race Weekend Ride-Alongs! You’ll get to take 3 laps around Bristol Motor Speedway the same weekend as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Super cool right?
To be clear, you’ll get to ride shot gun in a 2-seater NASCAR race car with a professional driver at the wheel for 3 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway during the race weekend in August. You will NOT receive entrance into the NASCAR race event.
And here’s the extra cool part, I’ll be there too! It’ll be great to meet the winners and live the Ride-Along Experience together.
Enter the contest by filling out the form below. To learn more about Race Rides and all of the other experiences offered by Richard Petty Driving Experience check out their website.
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Yesterday NASCAR announced their new garage access policy that will allow children into garages on race days. That’s a great thing and will surely create some memorable experiences for NASCAR’s youngest fans. But what I’m writing about today has to do with the reminder NASCAR tacked on to the end of their press release:
Also updated for 2011: The dress code for all NASCAR pit and garage areas. Attire must remain appropriate for both a major sporting event and a family environment, but has been relaxed to include shorts, open-toed shoes, sleeveless blouses and skirts/dresses.
This opens up a whole new world of wardrobe choices for women, not so much the guys (shorts, big whoop). Now that ladies can wear dresses in the garage, will they? And what will this do for the especially motivated women that are seriously interested in attracting a driver’s attention by any means necessary? Yes, it says, “Attire must remain appropriate for both a major sporting event and a family environment,” but do you really think that’ll stop pit lizards from getting creative? I wonder.
As for myself, a member of the media, I’m supposed to be professional no matter what. And I am, although my style of dress at the track consists of jeans, my black Converse Chuck Taylor’s, some random top that’s “cute” and usually a hoodie that hides the “cute” top. So I end up looking like the female version of Facebook’s creator, Mark Zuckerberg, with people asking me what I’m studying in school, as if I’m not out of college yet. I’m 30-years-old so that’s a nice thing to hear but at the same time it’s not ’cause people tend to think you’re not “serious” when you look like you still go to frat parties. So I should probably step-up my game in the style department. But I don’t necessarily want to go all the way to other side of the spectrum and dress up like Ines Sainz (pictured at right) did at the NFL’s Super Bowl Media Day and look like I’m going to a cocktail party.
No, I’ll have to find some middle ground and I doubt any sort of dress will be in the picture. But I like knowing that the option is there and I look forward to “people watching” in the garages this season. I expect some inspired fashion choices to be on display.
It was that time again on Saturday to reacquaint ourselves with the folks at Fox Sports and their brand of NASCAR coverage for another year. I have a secret wish that one of those animated robot football players they use for the NFL will walk onto the screen and bash Digger and his friends about the head until they run away forever. Did I just write that? Yes, yes I did.
Anyway, loved seeing drivers back in action. There’s nothing better than seeing cars driving at full speed, racing for something, anything, even if there aren’t any points involved. Congratulations to Kurt Busch and the “Double Deuce” team on winning the Budweiser Shootout.
Sunday was qualifying for the Daytona 500, but really just for the front row. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon locked up the front row for Hendrick Motorsports. And that was great and all but a bigger story, in my eyes at least, was Larry McReynolds dropping relationship news about Tony Stewart dating sprint car driver Jessica Zemken, who races for Tony Stewart Racing.
In other news…
– The winner of this year’s Daytona 500 will be honored in San Francisco on February 22nd (6pm) at Ghiradelli Square with an ice cream social. The lucky dude will have a sundae named in his honor and all fans in attendance will be treated to a complimentary sundae courtesy of the Ghiradelli® Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop. I’m going to be there FOR SURE, because I have first hand knowledge of how delicious everything is that they make at Ghiradelli. Chocolate covered strawberries are calling my name, and it’ll be cool to see the Daytona 500 winner fresh off their win.
– There’s more than just a win, and a starting position in the Daytona 500, at stake for Tony Stewart in the The Duels at Daytona on Thursday–there’s money too!:
“The Duels at Daytona are always exciting because the higher you finish, the better your starting spot is for the Daytona 500. But for this year’s Duel, I have a little added incentive knowing that the Tony Stewart Foundation could receive some extra funding if I win,” said Stewart, who has awarded almost $4 million to assist charitable initiatives through his foundation since 2003. “I am so proud to partner with companies like Office Depot and Lexmark that believe in Taking Care of Business by giving back to their communities and to those in need. As for the wager, the new Lexmark Genesis S815 printer is really fast, and in our business, speed counts.”
More details over at ‘Fabulous’ News
– Celebrities have made their predictions on who they think will win the Daytona 500, check ‘em out over at SI.com. I’m partial to Joe Namath & Janet Evanovich’s picks, but you should read them all. There’s some interesting little tidbits of info in there. Like Mike Tomlin, head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers (aka Super Bowl XLV losers), went to college with JD Gibbs.
– Scott Speed will drive the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series for two races this year: Iowa Speedway on August 6 and at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on August 20.
Photo fun time from this weekend below!
Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon share a laugh together during Budweiser Shootout practice at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon discuss practice at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Chirs Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. draws the pole for the Budweiser Shootout as Kenny Wallace reacts Friday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.
2010 Daytona 500 Champion Jamie McMurray and teammate Juan Pablo Montoya share information during Budweiser Shootout practice at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images)
I’m diggin’ Kasey’s new firesuit. Cool design.
Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch discuss practice Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Joey Logano and Trevor Bayne talk during Daytona 500 practice at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Kurt Busch in victory lane celebrating his 2011 Budweiser Shootout win at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
David Ragan signs a fans jacket during Daytona 500 Qualifying at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Carl Edwards signs autographs for fans after his qualifying lap Sunday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
It is my pleasure to announce that Tony Stewart has been voted the Hottest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver of 2011!
Tony beat Matt Kenseth in the finals by a landslide (that’s a slight understatement) with Tony receiving 99% of the votes! I think this proves without a doubt that Tony Stewart fans are just as powerful as JR Nation. You guys are definitely a force to be reckoned with.
This turned out to be WAY more fun than I’d anticipated and I cannot wait to do this all again next year. I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s comments and I’m going to take your suggestions on voting in to consideration for next year. I hope that if you’re new to The Fast and the Fabulous you’ll stick around and become a regular to this site. I’ve got some really cool things planned for this year and I’d love to share it all with you.
Congratulations to Tony Stewart on winning this prestigious (if I do say so myself, which I do) honor! I’ve got an idea for a “trophy” that I hope to present to Tony. If that goes down I’ll definitely let you know what happens!
Thank you to EVERYONE who voted throughout this tournament.
How excited are you that tomorrow is the Budweiser Shootout? I, for one, am thrilled. The season is starting again and for this website, and me personally, a lot more stories to share with you guys. I’m planning on road tripping it to Phoenix and Las Vegas later on this month. I’m really looking forward to getting back to the one place in the world that I know ALWAYS makes me happy, NASCAR races of course.
I’m also super excited to crown the first ever Hottest Driver Tournament winner on Sunday. It’s between Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth. Be sure to cast your vote now because voting ends Saturday night (at midnight).
In other news…
– The latest issue of ESPN The Magazine, on newsstands today, focuses on speed. Not Scott Speed, but just speed in general. It features articles on how to survive a crash, Hendrick Motorsports pit crew combine and spotlights Ricky Carmichael and Kevin Harvick.
– Jimmie Johnson will be the subject of a segment on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. The show airs Tuesday, Februay 15th. I’m looking forward to this as Real Sports is one of my FAVE shows.
– Rock band Good Charlotte is set to perform live before the start of the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 27th. I’m totally looking forward to the performance and hopefully the band’s lead singer Joel Madden will bring his wife, Nicole Richie, along for support. Auto Club Speedway has special ticket packages available for starting at just $55. For an additional $25 you can have access to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Check out ‘Fabulous’ News for more news like this.
– Michael Waltrip has been doing a lot of media interviews in support of his new book, “In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything.”
While talking with the New York Times Michael revealed that he had never watched the 2001 Daytona 500, the race that he won and took the life of his team owner at the time, Dale Earnhardt. That is until this past July. Michael’s sister Connie tapes all of his races, and he came across the DVD — decorated with hearts and stars and the words “2001 Daytona 500 Winner!” that she’d written on it before Dale’s death had been announced — and watched it for the very first time, commercials and all.
Michael hadn’t been able to talk about the 2001 Daytona 500 for many years but in watching the entire race and then writing a book about that day in Daytona he was able to deal with his feels and find peace with everything that happened.
Andrew Giangola has a review of Michael’s book here, and I was told that Mikey’s book will debut at No. 11 on the New York Times’ Bestseller list when it makes it’s debut on February 20th, the same day as the 2011 Daytona 500.
– Yesterday was NASCAR Media Day down at Daytona International Speedway. The whole thing reminds me of a combination of the first day at school and picture day all wrapped up into one. The drivers spend what looks to me like all day walking around in their new firesuits answering all sorts of questions from the media from all over the place, taking new photos and shooting video spots. I really need to experience that whole thing for myself one day. Anyway, here are photos:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Juan Pablo Montoya answers questions from the local media Thursday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. during media day.
2010 Daytona 500 Champion Jamie McMurray poses during media day Thursday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson poses for photos Thursday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. during media day. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne reads liners for MRN during media day Thursday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.(Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle talks with Pete Pistone and Mike Bagley from The Morning Drive on Sirius during media day Thursday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Former Red Bull Racing driver Scott Speed and his wife, Amanda, are expecting! Scott announced the news via Twitter this morning along with the sonogram image (below) of little Speed:
Look what we made!!!! HE! Stress the word HE.. Lol is only .33cm long but he growin
Congratulations to Scott and Amanda!
It’s time for the FINAL round in the 2011 Hottest Driver Tournament. Who will be voted the Hottest Driver of 2011? Well, it’s down to Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth.
Here’s what happened in Round Five:
Tony Stewart (82%) defeated Jamie McMurray (18%)
Matt Kenseth (53%) defeated Martin Truex Jr. (47%)
This updates the brackets, which you can see below (click it to see it larger).
So let’s get to it! Here are the match-ups for Round Six – The Finals! You can vote as many times as you want each day until voting ends on Saturday, February 12th.
UPDATE: Voting has ended. Stay tuned for the results.
| Tony Stewart | Matt Kenseth | |
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Sheesh! I can’t believe I didn’t write a post about this right after the wedding occurred. I was laying down on the job I guess.
Kelley Earnhardt married NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour driver L.W. Miller III on Saturday, January 22 in Mooresville, North Carolina. This is the third marriage for Kelley.
Matt Kenseth. What can I say about Matt Kenseth? Well, he’s funny for one. He made fun of my name when I interviewed him in Las Vegas a couple months ago during Champion’s Week. He’s also the first driver I’ve interviewed to end up not answering all of the questions in the “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire. As you’ll see below at “What turns you off?” there’s an exchange that involves me, Matt and Jeff Burton, but there’s no actual answer. We came back to it, but he still didn’t have any answer. Which was curious to me because I would think it’d be harder to think of an answer for “What turns you on?” than the opposite of that.
Anyway, Matt was supernice and a very good sport. Definitely another good interview.
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What is your favorite word? Lately I’ve been noticing everyone says “Like” all the time, and I caught myself doing it so I’ve been trying to get myself to stop doing it when everyone around me uses it like crazy.
What is your least favorite word? When somebody uses God’s name in vain.
What turns you on? My wife
What turns you off? Can’t answer that one. (Me: what turns you off?) These are tough questions, where are you going to write these at? You’re going to get me in a lot of trouble. I can’t answer that. [To Jeff Burton] How can you answer all these? Like ‘What turns you off?’ (Jeff Burton: Everything’s not sexual, Matt). [To Me] Ok, let’s keep going. (Me: You want to come back to it?) Yeah.
What sound or noise do you love? I like hearing race cars start up
What sound or noise do you hate? A couple people’s voices. Gosh, I’m not quick thinking on my feet today. Can I come back to that one too?
What is your favorite curse word? I don’t know, I try not to curse. I guess I don’t have a favorite.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Well it’s way to late in life to do it now, but if I was going to be something else I probably would have been interested in joining the Air Force, try to be a fighter pilot.
What profession would you not like to do? Well I’m pretty fortunate because it’s hard to call this a job, so I think anything other than this would be not as good.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Welcome in!
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
Here we are in Round Five of the 2011 Hottest Driver Tournament and we’re down to just four drivers! It was a close one between Elliott Sadler and Martin Truex Jr. but Martin won out by just 36 votes!
Here’s what happened in Round Four:
Jamie McMurray (56%) defeated Clint Bowyer (44%)
Tony Stewart (88%) defeated Ryan Newman (12%)
Martin Truex Jr. (51%) defeated Elliott Sadler (49%)
Matt Kenseth (66%) defeated Regan Smith (34%)
This updates the brackets, which you can see below (click it to see it larger).
So let’s get to it! Here are the match-ups for Round Five! You can vote as many times as you want each day until voting ends on Saturday, February 5th.
UPDATE: Voting has ended, stay tuned for the Finals!
| Jamie McMurray | Tony Stewart | |
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| Martin Truex Jr. | Matt Kenseth | |
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I’m sad I missed the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour in Charlotte this week. But, if I’m being honest, it’s only because I just read this article about all the swag the media received, that I missed out on. There were cupcakes and cookies and wine!
Anyway, here are photos from the week. It’s one of my favorite things to post photos of the teams wearing those annoying long sleeve shirts. I don’t know why I hate them so much but they just look wrong. I say this every year and no one listens to me.
It’s just like bridesmaid dresses: it’s really hard to pick on dress type that works on every body type. Which is why brides have started letting their maids pick a fit that suits them individually and then just going with the same color and/or print for the group. I think NASCAR teams should adopt this same principle. Some teams have, but definitely not the majority.
Michael Waltrip’s familiar No. 15 NAPA car is on display during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, held at Hilton University on Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C. (Credit: Harold Hinson/HHP)
(Left to right) Bobby Hutchens, director of competition for Stewart-Haas Racing; Tony Gibson, crew chief of the No. 39 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car; Ryan Newman, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver; Tony Stewart, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner and driver; and Darian Grubb, crew chief of the No. 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car, pose for a picture during the 2011 Sprint Cup Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday at Stewart-Haas Racing in Kannapolis, N.C. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Regan Smith stands in front of his No. 78 Furniture Row ride during the Sprint Media Tour hosted byCharlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
(center) NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty stands between his two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers AJ Allmendinger (left) and the newest addition to Richard Petty Motorsports Marcos Ambrose during the Sprint Media Tour hosted byCharlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Team owner Jack Roush (center) poses with drivers (left to right) Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and David Ragan, during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, held at the Roush-Fenway hanger of Concord Regional Airport, on Thursday in Concord, N.C. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
(Left to right) Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, speaks with Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, held at Hilton University on Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C.(Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
(Left to right) Richard Childress, team owner; Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 33 Cheerios Chevrolet; Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet; Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 22 Caterpillar Chevrolet, and Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 Menard’s Chevrolet, pose for the media during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, held at Richard Childress Racing on Tuesday in Welcome, N.C.(Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
(Left to right) Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, owner Rick Hendrick and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. pose for a team picture Wednesday at Hendrick Motorsports Media Day during the Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway.(Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
(Left to right) Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, speaks to the media as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teammates Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, and Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, look on during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, held at Penske Racing on Monday in Mooresville, N.C.(Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Team owner Joe Gibbs (third from right) poses with J.D. Gibbs (third from left), Joe Gibbs Racing President, Joey Logano (left), driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, Kyle Busch (second from left), driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota, Denny Hamlin (second from right), driver of the No. FedEx Toyota, and NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brian Scott (right), during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, held at Joe Gibbs Racing, on Thursday in Huntersville, N.C. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR, on hiring Tony Stewart: “For 1997, we wanted to form a second team. We asked all the guys to write down the name of the driver they wanted the most and put it in a hat. There was one name on every piece of paper. That was Tony Stewart.”
Team owner Joe Gibbs (center) speaks about the 20th anniversary of Joe Gibbs Racing, as (left to right) JGR President J.D. Gibbs, former JGR drivers Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, JGR senior vice president of racing operations Jimmy Makar and Interstate Batteries CEO Norm Miller look on during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, held at Joe Gibbs Racing, on Thursday in Huntersville, N.C. (Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
The No. 21 Motorcraft Ford proudly displays the new American Ethanol sponsorship around the fuel hole during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, held at the Roush-Fenway hanger of Concord Regional Airport, on Thursday in Concord, N.C. (Credit: Harold Hinson/HHP)
(Left to right) Juan Pablo Montoya, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, team owners Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates and Jamie McMurray, defending Daytona 500 champion, pose for a picture during the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing stop on the 2011 Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday at the Hilton Charlotte University Place in Charlotte, N.C.(Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Yesterday Jack Roush inadvertently announced that Greg Biffle, and his wife Nicole, are expecting their first child. Biffle wasn’t planning on having Roush share the news but there it was, along with a semi-confirmation that Carl Edwards and his wife are expecting their second child. It also turned out that the Biffles learned the sex of their baby yesterday and Greg announced via Twitter that they’re expecting a girl. Matt Kenseth and his wife are also expecting another child soon, but we already knew that.
Which leads me to more Biffle and Edwards news. Both drivers will appear on this weekend’s episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” on ABC to demonstrate the dangers of texting & driving:
“Texting while driving is incredibly dangerous and I think it’s an extremely important message to get out to everyone right now but especially teenage drivers,” Biffle said. “While Carl and I had a lot of fun taping the segment for ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,’ it is a very serious issue. Being a part of the show really opened my eyes to the dangers of texting while driving and I’m sure it will do the same for all of the viewers. Ford has a great program to educate teenagers about safe driving skills and you can get more information at www.drivingskillsforlife.com.“
The RFR teammates’ appearance is in support of the Brown family of Wellman, Texas who lost their daughter in a tragic auto accident involving texting and driving. Since the accident the family has dedicated their lives to communicating the dangers of this practice. Biffle and Edwards are joined by Justin Bieber and Emma Roberts on the show.
The show will air on Sunday, January 30, at 8 p.m. (ET). Check your local listings.
UPDATE: Right! Forgot to post this too. David Ragan doesn’t know how to make a baby.
He said it, not me. Thanks for the tips, Tara!!
I said I wasn’t going to watch this new season of “The Bachelor” on ABC but I’ve crumbled and watched it anyway ONLY to see what happens for Emily Maynard, the young woman who was engaged to Ricky Hendrick, the son of NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick, when he died in a tragic plane crash and went on to give birth to his daughter in the same year.
I feel like premise of “The Bachelor” is only good for the guy and the one woman he ultimately chooses in the end (if he actually chooses someone). Otherwise it’s a painful process that seems entirely unnecessary. Trust me, I understand why women go on that show because, being a single girl that’s just turned 30, I would jump at the chance to meet a ridiculously good looking guy that has a job, too. But I’d rather not know if he’s seeing other women at the same time, kissing them and taking them on special dates and whatnot. I’d rather be clueless and not be involved in his deliberation process, figuring out if he likes me over Lady #1, #2, or #3, etc.
As the last episode illustrated it’s hard to watch the guy you’re into do something special for someone else right in front of your face, which is what happened when Brad took Emily outside for a special mini-picnic in the backyard before the rose ceremony, meanwhile the other ladies saw this special gesture and one chick broke down in tears over it.
So here’s the thing, on the preview for next week’s show they’re taking the women to Las Vegas and they’re going to do a group date at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where from the looks of it they’ll try their hand at racing cars.
CLEARLY, as it showed in the preview, this is going to be tough for Emily. I’m Team Emily all the way and I have a hard time understanding why they would include this activity in the show when HELLO, her deceased fiancee was a race car driver at one time and it was the business of his family.
I just don’t think it was necessary to go there–literally and figuratively. It’s a curious thing to me because in this last episode Brad apologized to Emily for even taking her on a private jet because he hadn’t thought about the connection to Ricky’s death (not that he knew about it at that point). So it’s weird to me that you would then take her on a date at a race track.
As I said before I’m Team Emily all the way, and I’m sure there are plenty of NASCAR fans out there that are too and are protective of her because of her story. I just hope she doesn’t get hurt and that this experience ends up being a positive one and not an exploitation of her life.
UPDATE: Emily spoke with People Magazine about the NASCAR date, where she had this to say:
“I know there has been a lot of talk and concern recently over the upcoming episode of The Bachelor with the NASCAR-themed group date,” she says. “Although I appreciate everyone’s concern, I ask that you reserve judgment until after you’ve seen the actual episode, because, as you’ll see, the experience actually helped me gain some closure.”
The 2011 NASCAR racing season is fast approaching and that means I’ve finally got new photos to share with you guys from the Preseason Thunder testing that occurred last week at Daytona International Speedway. It was our first chance to catch some drivers wearing their new sponsor’s firesuits, a time to welcome back Brian Vickers (yay!) and an opportunity to see new driver/crew chief pairings (Gustafson & Gordon = Too much hotness for one team, I’m just sayin’).
I’m excited about the year to come, as I always am, and I know that I have at least ONE very cool, super awesome, off-line deal coming up that involves you guys! So stay tuned for that announcement.
Remember to check out ‘Fabulous’ News for press releases and random photos throughout the week. I’ll have a wrap-up of the media tour taking place now posted later on in the week.
But for now enjoy these photos!
Brad Keselowski recorded the fastest lap of the day at 45.316 seconds Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. during Preseason Thunder testing.(Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
(Left to right) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Red Bull Racing teammates Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers talk as they sign autographs for fans in the garage area during Preseason Thunder testing on Friday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. laughs during a Preseason Thunder Fan Fest Q&A Thursday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Truex turned the second-fastest lap of the first day of testing with a 195.776 mph circuit. (Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Marcos Ambrose smiles in the garage Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. during Preseason Thunder testing.(Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards signs autographs for young fans during the Preseason Thunder Fan Fest following testing Thursday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brian Vickers signs autographs in the Sprint FanZone Thursday during Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. smiles during a break on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Fla. (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart looks on as his crew makes adjustments to the No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. during Preseason Thunder testing.(Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
A new look Kevin Harvick participates in testing Thursday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Jeff Gordon works with Ormond Beach, Fla. native Alan Gustafson in the Garage Thursday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Joey Logano who was third fastest with a lap time of 45.757 seconds signs autographs for fans during Preseason Thunder Fan Fest on Friday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.(Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Clint Bowyer signs autographs for fans during Preseason Thunder on Friday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
3,011 votes later we have the winners from Round Three! It wasn’t until I had this experience that I truly felt the power of Dale Earnhardt Jr’s fans, I’m pretty sure they’re part of the reason I saw record numbers of votes each day this past week. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to beat Ryan Newman. It was really, really, really close–the closest of Round Three; Ryan nipped Dale for the win by just 43 votes. The second closest result was Tony Stewart versus Kasey Kahne. Kasey lost, and now Tony will have to face his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Ryan Newman in Round Four.
Here’s what happened in Round Three:
Jamie McMurray (67%) defeated Joey Logano (33%)
Clint Bowyer (70%) defeated Travis Kvapil (30%)
Ryan Newman (51%) defeated Dale Earnhardt Jr. (49%)
Tony Stewart (58%) defeated Kasey Kahne (42%)
Elliott Sadler (79%) defeated Casey Mears (21%)
Martin Truex Jr. (68%) defeated Paul Menard (32%)
Regan Smith (69%) defeated Denny Hamlin (31%)
This updates the brackets, which you can see below (click it to see it larger).
So let’s get to it! Here are the match-ups for Round Four! You can vote as many times as you want each day until voting ends on Saturday, January 29th.
ROUND FOUR VOTING HAS ENDED. Stay tuned for Round Five.
| Jamie McMurray | Clint Bowyer | |
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| Ryan Newman | Tony Stewart | |
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| Elliott Sadler | Martin Truex Jr. | |
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| Matt Kenseth | Regan Smith | |
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Kyle Busch drives the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He married his longtime girlfriend Samantha Sarcinella on New Year’s Eve last year and the word from Kyle (via Twitter) is that their wedding will be featured on The Style Network in March of this year.
I interviewed Kyle during Champion’s Week in Las Vegas last year and some of his responses kinda surprised me, especially the profession other than his own that he’d like to attempt.
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What is your favorite word? Well, I have a favorite saying, but not a word. “It doesn’t surprise me”
What is your least favorite word? Second
What turns you on? I mean, is that like, I gotta get context there. *laughter* (Me: Whatever you think) Hmm, racing. That’s easy.
What turns you off? People that aren’t true to themselves.
What sound or noise do you love? The roar of an engine
What sound or noise do you hate? The skid of tires
What is your favorite curse word? Uh, hold on. What’s that one? Oh, I can’t say that one. Uhm, “fudge.”
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Crew chief. Something still in racing.
What profession would you not like to do? A 9-to-5 corporate desk job.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? I’d like for him to tell me that I did a great job while living his path for me.
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
I’m having too much fun with this contest. I was right when I thought things would get much more interesting in Round Two and the results of last week’s voting have set up Round Three to be extra intriguing. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears just barely made it through in the closest match-up results so far. Dale Jr. beat Scott Speed by just 8 votes! I’m really, really surprised that it wasn’t a closer contest between Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne.
Here’s what happened in Round Two:
Jamie McMurray (75%) defeated Kyle Busch (25%)
Joey Logano (55%) defeated David Gilliland (45%)
Clint Bowyer (56%) defeated Bobby Labonte (44%)
Travis Kvapil (62%) defeated Kurt Busch (38%)
Kasey Kahne (75%) defeated Carl Edwards (25%)
Casey Mears (51%) defeated Kevin Harvick (49%)
Elliott Sadler (70%) defeated Reed Sorenson (30%)
Jeff Gordon (52%) defeated Marcos Ambrose (48%)
Ryan Newman (83%) defeated Juan Pablo Montoya (17%)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (51%) defeated Scott Speed (49%)
Tony Stewart (86%) defeated Sam Hornish Jr. (14%)
Matt Kenseth (65%) defeated AJ Allmendinger (35%)
Regan Smith (77%) defeated Robby Gordon (23%)
Martin Truex Jr. (88%) defeated Greg Biffle (12%)
Paul Menard (64%) defeated Brad Keselowski (36%)
Denny Hamlin (58%) defeated Mark Martin (42%)
This updates the brackets, which you can see below (click it to see it larger).
So let’s get to it! Here are the match-ups for Round Three! You can vote as many times as you want each day until voting ends on Saturday, January 22nd.
UPDATE: I’ve extended voting through Sunday, January 23rd until 9am, because of a snafu with the voting form. // Voting for Round Three is over! Check out Round Four!
| Jamie McMurray | Joey Logano | |
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| Clint Bowyer | Travis Kvapil | |
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| Ryan Newman | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | |
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| Tony Stewart | Kasey Kahne | |
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| Casey Mears | Elliott Sadler | |
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| Martin Truex Jr. | Jeff Gordon | |
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| Paul Menard | Matt Kenseth | |
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| Regan Smith | Denny Hamlin | |
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Voting for Round Three is over! Check out Round Four!
Kurt Busch is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver for Penske Racing. 2010 was his last year in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, this year he takes on the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge (as you can see in the photo at left).
“I am honored to represent the Shell and Pennzoil brands in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2011,” said Busch. “I look forward to building on the success of our storied past at Penske Racing with our new sponsors at Shell and Pennzoil.”
This was by far the fastest interview I’ve ever transcribed, I didn’t realize he was so speedy about it until just now. I liked his answer for the last question, I don’t think anyone’s answered it that way ’til now.
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What is your favorite word? “Let’s do it.”
What is your least favorite word? “I don’t want to.”
What turns you on? Family
What turns you off? The travel
What sound or noise do you love? Race cars
What sound or noise do you hate? My alarm clock
What is your favorite curse word? Oh, hell.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Baseball
What profession would you not like to do? Hockey
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? I’m proud of you, son.
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
It’s time for Round Two! But first let’s find out what happened in Round One.
Kyle Busch (68%) defeated Jeff Burton (32%)
Juan Pablo Montoya (62%) defeated Brian Vickers (38%)
Tony Stewart (97%) defeated David Reutimann (3%)
Paul Menard (71%) defeated Jimmie Johnson (29%)
Casey Mears (73%) defeated David Ragan (27%)
Regan Smith (86%) defeated Kevin Conway (14%)
This updates the brackets, which you can see below (click it to see it larger).
And now, I think this is when things are going to get even MORE interesting. Round Two is the largest group, it’ll be fun to see who makes it into Round Three. I was going to let Round Two last for two weeks but I have decided to run it for just a week. Votes poured in for Round One and I can only expect it to get crazier for this one, so I’m trying to contain it. Plus I’m highly impatient and two weeks sound like forever to find out the results.
So let’s get to it! Here are the match-ups for Round Two! You can vote as many times as you want each day until voting ends on Saturday, January 15th.
UPDATE: Round Two voting has ended. Stay tuned for the results and Round Three!
| Jamie McMurray | Kyle Busch | |
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| David Gilliland | Joey Logano | |
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| Clint Bowyer | Bobby Labonte | |
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| Kurt Busch | Travis Kvapil | |
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| Ryan Newman | Juan Pablo Montoya | |
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| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Scott Speed | |
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| Sam Hornish Jr. | Tony Stewart | |
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| Carl Edwards | Kasey Kahne | |
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| Kevin Harvick | Casey Mears | |
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| Elliott Sadler | Reed Sorenson | |
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| Greg Biffle | Martin Truex Jr. | |
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| Jeff Gordon | Marcos Ambrose | |
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| Brad Keselowski | Paul Menard | |
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| AJ Allmendinger | Matt Kenseth | |
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| Robby Gordon | Regan Smith | |
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| Mark Martin | Denny Hamlin | |
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Chad Knaus is the spectacularly successful crew chief of the No. 48 Lowe’s team at Hendrick Motorsports. He celebrated the team’s fifth-straight NASAR Sprint Cup Series Championship with his driver, Jimmie Johnson, in Las Vegas for Champion’s Week which is where this interview occurred.
My only regret was not getting to interview Jimmie with the same questions as he was seated right next to Chad in the press room. Jimmie wasn’t occupied with anyone during my time with Chad and I can’t for the life of me remember why I didn’t just go to him next, he must of started talking to someone and I didn’t want to wait is my best guess.
Anyway, the interview with Chad was great as you can read/see below. He hasn’t been “turned off” in quite some time.
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What is your favorite word? No
What is your least favorite word? No. Being told “No.” *laughter*
What turns you on? Winning
What turns you off? Losing
What sound or noise do you love? I love the sound of the ocean.
What sound or noise do you hate? People arguing.
What is your favorite curse word? I don’t think I can say that. *laughter* Favorite curse word? Probably “Damnit.”
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I would like to at some point to get to work inside a business environment, be a board member or something along those lines.
What profession would you not like to do? Work in a factory.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Good job.
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
Awww, man! The only NASCAR drivers included in the Gillette Young Guns “Class of 2011″ are Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Nothing against them, of course. I’m just sad that Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards aren’t included.
Still, I think Denny and Kyle do a good job of representing NASCAR.
Here’s the video introducing the new Young Guns and after that is a behind the scenes video with Denny and Kyle.
Meet Kyle Busch:
Meet Denny Hamlin:
Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 33 Cheerios Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, is a character for sure. He’s a funny guy and I’m really happy with how this interview turned out–I laughed while I transcribed it! Hopefully all of that comes through. In addition to the questions below I asked Clint if he had any special plans for the off-season and he said, “Whatever I want, that’s what’s nice about the off-season you have the opportunity to do whatever you want for a while.”
This ranks up there as one of my favorites for sure. I had to leave in our conversation about these answers because without it, it just wouldn’t make sense and it makes it funnier.
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What is your favorite word? *laughter* I can’t tell you
What is your least favorite word? No
What turns you on? Everything. Well, this is not fair! *laughter* (Me: Yes it is!) What turns me on? Uh, cars.
What turns you off? Penalties. Penalties suck.
What sound or noise do you love? An engine turning 9500 RPM.
What sound or noise do you hate? An engine expiring.
What is your favorite curse word? I cannot tell you that. I like ‘em all. I put ‘em all in play, put it that way.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? *laughter* I don’t know, give me a good one, what would you do? You gotta help me sound cool. (Me: Uhh, I don’t know, an actor?) Uh, a rockstar.
What profession would you not like to do? Uh, man. How about that one, what profession would we not want to do? This is collective group effort. (Me: I’ve heard sewage stuff, trash collector) I was going to say shit hauler would be bad. Shit hauler. Is this going to be on, like, public record? (Me: It’s going to be on a blog on the internet, it’s going to be there forever) Oh great, the internet’s forever? I don’t know, help me come up with a better one then. (Me: An office job where you have to sit in one place?) Uhm, man, I don’t know. Try to keep track of me, put it that way.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? What would I like him to say? Welcome! *laughter*
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
Who is the hottest, cutest, most-handsome driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series? I know who I think is the hottest, most-adorable driver in the series but if I just tell you what I think it’s boring and the fun only lasts for a few hours, or a day, tops. So instead I thought it would be way more fun if everyone voted!
I’ve randomly seeded 38 drivers into a single-elimination tournament. There will be six rounds of action before we crown a winner and each round will last at least one week. The second round will go on for two weeks because there are so many match-ups I want to make sure there’s enough time to get as many votes in as possible. You can vote as many times as you want and I strongly encourage you to do so every day. And as the rounds wind down be on the lookout for the opportunity to win a prize!
Without further adieu here are the match-ups for Round One!
| Kyle Busch | Jeff Burton | |
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| Brian Vickers | Juan Pablo Montoya | |
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| David Reutimann | Tony Stewart | |
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| David Ragan | Casey Mears | |
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| Paul Menard | Jimmie Johnson | |
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| Kevin Conway | Regan Smith | |
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Raybestos Rookie of the Year award-winner Kevin Conway started the 2010 season in the Sprint Cup Series driving for Front Row Motorsports but ended it with Robby Gordon Motorsports. I met Kevin in Las Vegas after the NMPA Myers Bros. Awards Luncheon where he officially received his Rookie of the Year award.
This is the second of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” interviews that I did during Champion’s Week. There are many more to come so stay tuned.
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What is your favorite word? This year I would have to say it’s been “Plethora” and I really don’t know why, it’s just been used a lot.
What is your least favorite word? Probably “hmm,” I hate it when a girl is like “hmm, hmm.”
What turns you on? Being competitive and winning races.
What turns you off? Negativity
What sound or noise do you love? Race cars
What sound or noise do you hate? Silence
What is your favorite curse word? The F-word can be used in so many different ways, so it’s probably the best 4-letter word because it’s used in many different ways.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? If I couldn’t be a race car driver I’d probably like to be a fighter pilot.
What profession would you not like to do? Anything in a cubicle or a desk job.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Welcome, welcome home.
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, married Samantha Sarcinella yesterday in Chicago, IL. Radar Online has photos from the ceremony. Check them out over there.
I don’t know, but had to post these…
NASCAR Canadian Tires Series Champion DJ Kennington proposes to his girlfriend Jamie, during the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards Gala at the Charlotte Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on December 11, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
So sweet!
NASCAR Canadian Tires Series Champion DJ Kennington proposes to his girlfriend Jamie, during the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards Gala at the Charlotte Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on December 11, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
This year’s crop of racing-related commercials found drivers singing, professing their love of love and playing poker with Big Foot. Here is my list of the best commercials of 2010:
Tony Stewart Burger King Employee
My absolute favorite commercial of the year because it was real. Tony really did work at a Burger King and the result was really funny. I know it would be copying but I really think Lowe’s should put Jimmie Johnson to work in one of their stores. He’d be great at selling appliances, dontcha think?
Toyota Sponsifier
The Sponsifier program was a big hit this year and it’s gotta be because their commercials were hilarious. I will never be able to get the line “I want Kyle Busch in a pink car and a pink suit” out of my mind or Joey Logano’s chainmail outfit and that look of utter disgust on his face.
Gillette Young Guns & Big Foot
Because Big Foot is a sore loser. I find that idea to be really funny.
Mario Andretti Honda
How adorable is Mario Andretti? Like, really adorable. All because he says “I’m hungry.” I love it.
Coca-Cola Drivers Sing it Out
People who can’t sing (or aren’t known for singing) and then unexpectedly start singing is a recipe for hilarity.
Honorable Mention: Gillette Young Guns Wedding
Because I just like Clint Bowyer in this one. We need more commercials with Clint flexing his funny bone in 2011!
2010 was the year of the baby in NASCAR. People were giving birth all over the place and because of this I can’t keep all of them straight. So I’ve compiled a list of the babies that were welcomed into the world this year and the ones that are on the way continuing the baby blitz into 2011.
Wyatt Herman Fritts Sadler
Parents: Amanda & Elliott Sadler
Born: February 15, 2010
(Credit: @Elliott_Sadler)
Anne Edwards
Parents: Kate & Carl Edwards
Born: February 24, 2010
(Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Genevieve Marie Johnson
Parents: Chandra & Jimmie Johnson
Born: July 7, 2010
(Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Manuela Montoya Freydell
Parents: Connie Freydell & Juan Pablo Montoya
Born: July 19, 2010
(Credit: @ConnieMontoya)
Leo Benjamin Gordon
Parents: Ingrid Vandebosch & Jeff Gordon
Born: August 9, 2010
(Credit: JeffGordon.com & BabyAsArt)
Brooklyn Sage Newman
Parents: Krissie & Ryan Newman
Born: November 18, 2010
(Credit: Ryan Newman (facebook) – Photo by Karen Will Rogers Photography)
Carter Scott McMurray
Parents: Christy & Jamie McMurray
Born: November 25, 2010
Eliza Jo Hornish
Parents: Crystal & Sam Hornish Jr.
Born: December 28, 2010
Arriving in the new year will be…
– A girl for Cortney & Johnny Sauter. The couple’s daughter is expected to join her big brother, Penn, in April of 2011.
– A sibling for Katie & Matt Kenseth’s daughter, Kaylin, due in early 2011.
– (From what you guys have told me) A sibling for Kate & Carl Edwards daughter, Anne.
Shannon Spake is a pit reporter for both the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series telecasts on ESPN and is a reporter for ESPN’s studio programs such as NASCAR Now, SportsCenter and ESPNEWS. She’s also a wife and a mother to twin boys who will celebrate their 1st birthday on New Year’s Day.
Shannon, just like her ESPN co-workers, was super nice and gracious. I asked to interview her and Marty Smith on the fly while in the press box at Auto Club Speedway back in October. So I really appreciated the time they took to answer these questions after I sprung the request on them out of the blue.
Again, more great answers!
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What is your favorite word? Determination
What is your least favorite word? Failure
What turns you on? Being completely satisfied in something I just accomplished.
What turns you off? Laziness
What sound or noise do you love? I have twin boys, the sound of them–whether it’s crying or laughing–just the sounds that they make.
What sound or noise do you hate? The sound of nails on a chalk board or knives on a plate.
What is your favorite curse word? A–hole.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Maybe an actor, I think. I think it would be fun to be on a movie set with everything being fake and so over the top, I think it would be fun to be a part of that world.
What profession would you not like to do? Anything that involves jumping out of airplanes or working at high levels because I’m really afraid of heights and so I think anything that involves being way up in the air in any way, I don’t think I’d be interested in that at all.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? You did well.
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Follow Shannon Spake on Twitter @SSpakeESPN
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 31 CAT Chevrolet Impala for Richard Childress Racing, is cool. He finished the year 12th in points and out of the drivers I interviewed in Las Vegas he struck me as the most “polished.” And I guess what I mean by that is that he was professional but relaxed and just himself. He just seemed the most mature, not that everyone else wasn’t it’s just that you understand why people always look to him for his opinions.
Later when I was interviewing Matt Kenseth, Jeff was standing nearby waiting to hear Matt’s answer for “favorite curse word.” When I asked Matt about what turns him off he had a hard time and looked to Jeff and said, “How can you answer these?” to which Jeff replied, “Everything’s not sexual, Matt.” It was so funny and all said with a laugh.
Christmas is fast approaching and I thought I’d share with you some ideas I had for great gifts for NASCAR fans.
– Let’s start things off with two Tony Stewart-related gifts. First is the 2011 calendar I gave you guys a preview of last month that features exclusive photos of Tony. I love calendars, I think they make great presents because they last all year with something new to stare at (and daydream about) each month. The second gift is the 2010 “Teddy B. Caring Bear” from the Office Depot Foundation. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of the bear will go to children and families in need around the world. Teddy B. Caring was made by Gund (so you know he’s well made), costs only $9.99 and can be found at Office Depot stores.
“Working with the Office Depot Foundation on its National Backpack Program is one of the most important and rewarding things I do,” Stewart said. “It’s amazing to see the look on a child’s face when they receive a new backpack and are able to head back to school with an extra boost of confidence. Every child deserves that, and I would like to encourage everyone to consider giving a Teddy B. Caring bear as a gift this holiday season in support of the great work the Office Depot Foundation does all year long.”
Ready your Tivo! NASCAR will be discussed on the upcoming season of “The Bachelor” on ABC. Brad Womack is back again to try and find a woman he’ll actually want to propose to this time around.
The connection to NASCAR comes from Emily Maynard, 24, the fiancee of the late Ricky Hendrick. Ricky, the son of NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick, died in a plane crash in 2004 along with nine other people. Five days after the tragic accident Emily found out that she was pregnant with Ricky’s child. Their daughter, Josephine Riddick “Ricki” Hendrick was born in June of 2005.
Emily briefly dated Dale Earnhardt Jr. and has had some racing-related jobs like hosting the TV show “Three Wide Life” and a podcast called “Emily on the Scene” for the SPEED channel.
Now Emily is one of 30 bachelorettes on the 15th season of “The Bachelor” vying for the affection of 37-year-old “drinking establishment” owner Brad Womack. I already know the outcome of the show thanks to websites that have all the spoilers, but I won’t spoil it for you here. To be honest, I’d rather watch the new season of “Wipeout.” But if you really want to know just Google it.
I certainly wish Emily all the best. I can say one thing for sure, if you take a look at all the women on the show, Emily is by far the prettiest. I’m just sayin’.
The show starts on Monday, January 3rd at 8pm ET. Thanks to Tara S. for the tip!
I have a very simple idea: Starting with the Daytona 500 in February, I will attend all of the races on the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, driving from race to race, living in the infield in an RV or travel trailer. I’ll write about my experiences in this blog, along with the usual photos, interviews, and new features like a “choose my adventure” poll where you guys would get to pick the activity I have to do, something different each month. Oh and ‘Fabulous’ Parties, where you could hang out with me and other NASCAR fans (maybe a driver??), eat (cupcakes!), drink and leave with a goodie bag.
Performance Racing Network gathered some NASCAR drivers holiday memories, thoughts, etc:
Jimmie Johnson
“I think I was five years old at Christmas, and walked out and under the tree there was a motorcycle sitting there for me. That’s what started racing for me, so that would probably be the most memorable. It really started everything. We’ve got some footage that’s absolutely hilarious of me riding that day. My parents took me out to an area to ride and I could ride a bicycle at the time, but my dad was holding the back fender and trying to show me how to twist the throttle and ride off. I can’t believe I was on a bike that young, but it’s pretty funny to see it.”
Denny Hamlin
“Yeah, I was one of those kids that was trying to wake up my parents and say ‘Alright it’s Christmas now’, ‘No, no, no, go back to bed.’ So, I definitely was antsy at times, but now they’re the ones that have to wake me up on Christmas morning. I say, ‘Alright’ and I just kinda walk there with my cap on and I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s get this over with, I want to get to the food.’”
Marty Smith is a really nice guy. And I’m not just saying that because I know he’s going to read this at some point. I just appreciated how nice he was to me when I introduced myself to him during Champion’s Week last year and every time I’ve seen him since then he’s 1.) remembered me and 2.) stayed cool. Why is this important or notable? Because he doesn’t have to be like that. He could be a prima donna and he’s not.
Marty is a writer and reports for ESPN2′s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now, as well as SportsCenter, ESPN First Take, ESPNEWS and ESPN.com.
Marty’s interview was fun because his answers were really thoughtful. If you follow him on Twitter then you already know that he’s a serious fan, and friend, of country artist Eric Church which makes sense when you read his answer for the job he’d like to attempt. A fun fact is that he shares the same turn-off as his ESPN co-worker Brad Daugherty.
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What is your favorite word? Credibility
What is your least favorite word? Money. The reason that that is my least favorite word is because I think it drives the perception of worth entirely too much in our society. There’s a whole lot of things that are richer in life than green paper.
What turns you on? Intelligence
What turns you off? Haughtiness
What sound or noise do you love? My son and daughter’s laughter.
What sound or noise do you hate? Plastic being pulled across concrete.
What is your favorite curse word? The S-word.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? A country music songwriter in Nashville, who wrote songs that send a message, real and honest and far from pop, that offered truth about real-life issues and adversity and failure and triumph, that spoke to people on an intimate level and and didn’t dilute the highway of truth that country music is. Of course, I’d hope my songs were coveted by great artists, and actually recorded. For me, nothing triggers introspection and true emotion like a great song. Songwriters are the most talented people on Earth, as far as I’m concerned.
What profession would you not like to do? I would not like to be a doctor based on the fact that there is so much at stake.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? I appreciate the way you treated people while you were there. Thank you for your convictions. Come on in, brother!
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
Friday, December 3rd was the day of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony & Banquet at the Wynn Las Vegas.
NASCAR After The Lap started off mostly like last year, with hostess Jamie Little asking the drivers questions submitted by fans. There were a few new wrinkles like some of the fans asking the questions in person, and the drivers walking in through the crowd with Jimmie Johnson making his grand entrance in his No 48 Lowe’s Chevy.
Immediately following the press room session with the Chase drivers at the Bellagio, I got on the bus taking the media over to the starting line in front of Planet Hollywood for the Victory Lap down The Strip (aka Las Vegas Boulevard).
Thursday was filled with events including the NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon, the Victory Lap and After The Lap at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
I arrived in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning-ish. I checked in at my hotel, ARIA Hotel & Casino at CityCenter. I am giving this hotel two thumbs up because when I opened the door to my room (that unlocked after only having to wave my room key in front of the keypad above the door handle) music began to play and the curtains pulled back on their own revealing floor to ceiling windows facing a skyline of mountains.
It’s the most wonderful time of year. No, I’m not talking about the holidays. I’m referring to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week in Las Vegas!
Office Depot has created an exclusive Tony Stewart calendar for 2011 that features photos of the driver that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. The one below is my favorite so far because I can’t believe how dapper and George Clooney-esque Tony looks. The calendar is available for purchase at select Office Depot stores and online at OfficeDepotRacing.com.
This is clearly the PERFECT gift for that Tony Stewart fan in your life.
Last week was pretty hectic for me, hence the lack of posts. Between making the turkey (using a brine is the only way to go) for Thanksgiving and then helping my mom get married on Saturday I’ve been a busy little bee!
So I haven’t had much time to think about all of the ramifications of the changes that were announced at Hendrick Motorsports last week.
But my reaction went something like this:
I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting to use that animation of Pee Wee! Cracks me up every time I see it and in this case it totally sums up my feelings when I heard the news. On one hand I was thinking it might be better for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to get Alan Gustafson, but I trust that Rick Hendrick knows what he’s doing. I love all of the new pairings and I’m really looking forward to seeing what comes of it. The teams of the 88 and 24 can definitely use the new energy, so I’m excited.
No. 5 Chevrolet
Driver: Mark Martin
Crew Chief: Lance McGrew
No. 24 Chevrolet
Driver: Jeff Gordon
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
No. 48 Chevrolet (duh, if it ain’t broke why fix it?)
Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Crew Chief: Chad Knaus
No. 88 Chevrolet
Driver: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Crew Chief: Steve Letarte
There are no words. I have no words.
But I do have pictures.
Jimmie Johnson (L) kisses his wife Chandra as she holds their four-month-old daughter Genevieve, after winning the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship at the Ford 400 race in Homestead, Florida November 21, 2010. (REUTERS/Hans Deryk)
While I don’t think that Denny Hamlin or Kevin Harvick particularly need a pep talk at this point, they seem to have enough motivation on their own to win the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship over Jimmie Johnson, I’d still like to show them some support.
Which brings us to one of my favorite movies of all time: Swingers. The film stars Vince Vaughn (whom I adore and is hilarious) and Jon Favreau (whom I also adore and is now the amazingly talented director of hit movies, like the Iron Man series and the upcoming Cowboys & Aliens).
I am dedicating the following scene from Swingers to Denny and Kevin as extra oomph to go out there on Sunday and let the “bunny” know who’s boss.
(The language in the video is NSFW so wear your headphones)
Because Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasoline acts as a barrier to shield and protect critical engine parts against performance-robbing gunk you’re in luck! Not only can you find Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasoline any Shell station, making it super easy to keep your car in tip top shape, you also have the opportunity to win a No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil holiday prize pack!
Five lucky winners will receive a prize pack that includes:
– One (1) No. 29 die-cast car
– No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Christmas Ornaments
– No. 29 decals
– Harley-Davidson Koozies
– Microfiber Clean Cloths
UPDATE: Shell-Pennzoil has given me 3 $10 gift cards to give away too! When you enter the contest you’ll be eligible to win a prize pack, a gift card or BOTH!
This is a great contest just in time for Christmas! Enter today using the form below: The contest is over! Winners will be notified by email.
I interviewed Brad Daugherty, NASCAR Race Analyst for ESPN, at Auto Club Speedway this year. We all know that Brad is a former professional basketball player and is really, really tall but it’s not until you meet him that you really, really realize it.
I’m sure Brad must be asked how tall is all the time and I didn’t want to ask him, but it just came out because, you guys, he’s REALLY tall. Seven feet tall to be exact. I’m 5’9” and he’s in the small group of people in this world that has ever made me feel small in their presence, as you can see from the photo at left.
But more importantly Brad was a great interview. He’s super nice and not “haughty” at all, as you’ll see below.
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What is your favorite word? Ancillary. I like to say ancillary. I use that a lot, even out of context.
What is your least favorite word? Surreptitiously. It’s a very difficult word, sounds really smart but it’s really difficult to say, especially when you’re on TV, so I try to stay away from that word.
What turns you on? Beautiful, sunny days like today, it really gets my attention. I feel good, really energized. I got up this morning and opened the blinds and saw the sunshine, it just really makes me feel good. About everything feels better, I went and ran this morning, felt great. I love a beautiful, sunny day.
What turns you off? Haughty* people. We meet a lot of successful people because of what I did playing pro basketball and what I do now. You meet a lot of people who think they’re successful because they’ve made a lot of money and there’s an air that comes with that that really irks me and bothers me.
What sound or noise do you love? I love the sound of a racecar, a racecar engine. I’ve been around the sport for 30 years and every time they say “gentlemen, start your engines” I still get goosebumps.
What sound or noise do you hate? Fingernails on a chalkboard.
What is your favorite curse word? I try not to curse, but I’m an old mountain boy so I say “Dang it” or “Daggum it” a lot, a lot. My kids have gotten me to say “Sugar” instead of saying the other word, so I say “Daggum it” and “Sugar” a lot.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Love to be a hunting or fishing guide somewhere in the world. I love the outdoors. I love to hunt and fish. And I’d love to spend enough time in one really isolated place that I knew the region well enough to guide and teach and help. Being a hunting and fishing guide would be awesome.
What profession would you not like to do? I would not like to tar roofs. I see those guys out there in the middle of the summer time taring roofs and that’s got to be a tough, tough job.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? When I do get there, I hope he has a great sense of humor and I’d like to hear him say, “You were not always right, you were very faulty, but I appreciate your heart and your effort,” and if he says that I’d be tickled.
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*haugh·ty [haw-tee]
–adjective, -ti·er, -ti·est.
1. disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious:
haughty aristocrats; a haughty salesclerk.
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Read more of my “Inside the Actor’s Studio” questionnaire interviews in the archives and read about how it all started with Tony Stewart.
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