Holy qualifying Batman! What is going on?? I’ve been watching the FoxSports.com live qualifying scoreboard and I’m just flabbergasted at how things are shaking out.
First off, you’ve got Boris Said sitting on the pole (at least right now, about 3:59 PST with 14 cars yet to go), with Dave Blaney, Jeremy Mayfield, Kenny Wallace, and Michael Waltrip rounding out the top 5. Are you serious?? This is totally not the top five I was expecting to see at the front of the Pepsi 400 this Saturday.
But I hope it holds up… Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon is somewhere near the bottom, the worst of the Hendrick bunch.
Here’s the thing, there is now rain on the track and the FoxSports.com qualifying blog is saying that it’s no an official qualifying event until all 53 cars qualify. The start of the Busch race will determine when qualifying ends.
Uh-oh… if they don’t get this qualifying in then they’ll go to the points standings to determine the race order, which would be a huge travesty. Stupid rain! Gordon would win again, figuratively speaking of course.
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If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area and are a big NHRA fan you should check out this chance to hang with some of the top NHRA drivers like Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps. The event is a charity dinner in honor of the late Eric Medlen, hosted by Infineon Raceway on Thursday, July 26th. Full details are as follows:
Race Fans Invited to ‘Eric Medlen Nitro Night at the Fior Charity Dinner’ in San Francisco
SONOMA, Calif. (July 6, 2007) — Race fans will get to rub shoulders with top drivers from the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, as well as honor the memory of the late Eric Medlen at the “Eric Medlen Nitro Night at the Fior Charity Dinner” in San Francisco on Thursday, July 26.
The sit-down dinner will feature NHRA Funny Car drivers Ron Capps (Brut Racing Dodge), Robert Hight (Auto Club Mustang) and Gary Scelzi (Mopar/Oakley Dodge) and Top Fuel driver Cory McClenathan (FRAM Dragster). The gala will be hosted by long-time NHRA announcer Bob Frey and is being held in advance of the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway, July 27-29.
The charity dinner had its debut last year, and Medlen was one of the featured guests. The native of nearby Oakdale in San Joaquin County succumbed in March to injuries sustained from an accident during a test session at Gainesville ( Fla. ). He was 33. The event has since been renamed in his honor.
“I always agree to do the charity events not for anything other than I want to help,” said Scelzi. “The money always goes to a great cause and they are also really fun events. Whenever Infineon Raceway puts on an event you know it’s going to be first-class.”
Tickets to the affair are available for purchase to the public and will include a sumptuous four-course dinner at legendary Fior d’Italia Restaurant in historic North Beach (www.fior.com), followed by a brief program with the drivers and a tribute to Medlen. Cost is $125 per person.
All proceeds benefit Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway. The Sonoma chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities has distributed more than $2.1 million to Sonoma County youth groups since 2002.
The evening will begin with a no-host cocktail reception at 6:30, followed by dinner and the program at 7:30. If interested in purchasing a ticket to this event, please email Denise Silver at dsilver@infineonraceway.com or call 707-933-3950. Only 100 seats are available, so act today.
As the Jetson’s pet dog Astro said, rutro!
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is replacing Busch Series driver Shane Huffman in the No. 88 Navy Chevrolet this Friday at Daytona for the Winn-Dixie 250. This is very surprising news to me because I hadn’t heard of any troubles at JR Motorsports. Huffman is currently ranked 13th in the Busch Series standings, and in the past three races he’s managed two top ten finishes.
So what happened? There’s no word yet on who the new driver for the No. 88 will be, and Junior’s press release quotes don’t offer much in the way of a specific reason.
“Upon a midseason evaluation of the performance of this race team, we decided we needed to make a change, and right now we have a window to do that,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Because of the short notice, I am going to drive the Navy car Friday night at Daytona. It’s a big race for us. We are carrying a special Navy SEALs paint scheme on the car, so we want to make sure we give it a good run for the Navy and all our sponsors and employees.”
Earnhardt Jr. said he does not intend to drive the car beyond this weekend, although a new full-time driver has yet to be determined. This weekend’s interim role will give Earnhardt Jr. the opportunity to compete in equipment solely his own for the first time. He is the defending race winner of the Winn-Dixie 250, as he led 88 of 103 laps en route to a dominating victory in a Dale Earnhardt Inc.-prepared Chevrolet last year.
“I have always wanted to drive my own car, but I’m doing this to give us time to evaluate our options and see who we want to put in the car for the rest of the season,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I will get with my people at JR Motorsports, and hopefully we will have a new driver named in the very near future.”
Wouldn’t it be great if they just said “look, this guy is a tool and we don’t want to deal with him anymore.” Obviously I have no idea what the reasons are but I wonder if Shane’s status as a “baby daddy” has something to do with all of this.
It’s funny how your mind has to switch gears quickly while watching a NASCAR race. One minute I’m hoping that Dale Earnhardt Jr can still make a play for the win and then all of a sudden I have to ditch that thought and hope that Denny Hamlin can hold off Jeff Gordon.
It’s weird. I don’t dislike Jeff Gordon but I don’t want him to win. It’s so boring to me when it happens. And now there’s this mini documentary on his racing life (24 x 24: Wide Open With Jeff Gordon) they’re showing on Saturday before the Pepsi 400. I want to watch, but I don’t. I want to watch it because I’m a race fan and I’m curious about drivers’ lives on and off the track. But on the other hand I don’t like him that much and I feel like if I watch it I’m giving in to him somehow. Does that make sense at all? Probably not, but whatever.
If you’re unlike me and need more Jeff Gordon in your life then you should watch “Live with Regis & Kelly” on Monday, July 9th. He’ll be co-hosting the show with Kelly Ripa, filling in for Regis Philbin. I think we can expect some baby talk, not from Kelly, but Jeff as I’m sure he’ll expound on the joys of first-time fatherhood. After watching Saturday Night Live’s spoof of Kelly (they totally hit the nail on the head), I can’t take 5 seconds of that show. Too bad Jeff couldn’t have co-hosted with Regis instead.
And now for some photo goodness from this weekend’s race at New Hampshire.
uhm… Can the #48 team of Jimmie Johnson keep their interim crew chief Ron Malec (left) even when Chad Knaus comes back?? He’s hot! Next thought: Is he single?
Interim crew chief Jeff Meendering, of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet driven by Jeff Gordon, talks with interim crew chief Ron Malec, #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, driven by Jimmie Johnson, prior to the start of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway on July 1, 2007 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Denny Hamlin beats Jeff Gordon to the finish line to win at New Hampshire International Speedway. (Photo Credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
President of global operations for Dale Earnhardt Inc., Max Siegel, stands on pit road with Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet, prior to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway on July 1, 2007 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
It just occurred to me, the thought of Kyle Busch possibly sitting in the No. 8 car. I feel nauseous.
I don’t care what Hendrick Motorsports has to do but they must get that number from DEI. While it isn’t for sure that Kyle is going to DEI to fill that empty slot, I don’t think anyone else but Dale Earnhardt Jr. should be able to use that number. I mean, can you imagine some schmo using Michael Jordan’s number?? Uh no. Ok, Dale isn’t on the same level as MJ yet but he does have the same level of popularity and it would be insanity to let someone else use it.
The number 8 is synonymous with Dale Jr. Separating the two would be like breaking up the Captain & Tennille, or Batman & Robin… Lindsay Lohan & drugs… hehe… just kidding. The point is that when you think of one you instantly think of the other. This number is important. I can swallow Dale running a No. 08 or 81, but I can’t take someone else running the No. 8. That just can’t happen.
In other news…
– Did you know that Robby Gordon won his first NASCAR Nextel Cup race at NHIS back in 2001? Annnd… he’s the only driver in Nextel cup history to win his first race at New Hamphsire.
– If you’re up for meeting No. 40 Coors Wide Mouth Can Dodge driver David Stremme tonight here’s your chance to do it! (Provided that you are already in New Hampshire)
David Stremme will participate in the Coors Light Annual Pub Tour Friday night from 7-9pm in and around the Concord, N.H. area in advance of Sunday’s New England 300. Stremme and guests from Capitol Distributors (the local Coors distributor) will hit four local area pubs so keep your eyes open for the Coors Light crew Friday night.
I totally called it, but it was pretty obvious. At this weekend’s race at New Hampshire International Speedway Carl Edwards will be driving the No. 99 Lumber Liquidators/Red Sox Ford Fusion with a big ole Red Sox Logo on the car.
Everybody is very “proud” of this endeavor, as is stated in this Roush Fenway press release:
Roush Fenway Racing announced today that Boston Red Sox sponsors, Lumber Liquidators and Gillette, have signed on as sponsors of the No. 99 Ford Fusion driven by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Carl Edwards during this weekend’s race at New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS). The companies will celebrate their relationship with the Boston Red Sox and NASCAR fans by featuring the Red Sox logo on the No. 99 Lumber Liquidators/Red Sox Ford Fusion during the race in Loudon, N.H. on July 1.
“I’m really proud to have Lumber Liquidators and Gillette on board as the primary sponsors of the No. 99 Ford at Loudon,” said Edwards. “Both organizations have deep ties in the New England area and it is truly an honor to represent a team like the Boston Red Sox that has so much respect and history. There is an obvious cross-over between the NASCAR fan base and Red Sox fans and I’m excited that Lumber Liquidators and Gillette have chosen me to represent them at New Hampshire International Speedway.”
As Red Sox sponsors Lumber Liquidators and Gillette have secured the rights to utilize Boston Red Sox marks for marketing and promotional activation. These rights allow the companies to feature the Red Sox logo on the No. 99 Ford Fusion and Edwards as a means of further leveraging their association with the Red Sox through regional sponsorship of Roush Fenway Racing at Loudon. In addition to being highlighted on the Roush Fenway Racing entry, the sponsors will look to reach a broader audience of NASCAR fans by tapping into Roush Fenway Racing’s public relations and marketing services.
“We are excited to have Lumber Liquidators and Gillette sponsoring the No. 99 Ford Fusion and using the opportunity to promote their affiliation with the Boston Red Sox,” said Jack Roush, owner of Roush Fenway Racing. “It is our intention to be New England’s NASCAR team. We hope Red Sox fans watching the races in Loudon will support us with the same intensity as they do when watching the Red Sox”.
With this agreement, Lumber Liquidators, the largest independent retailer of hardwood flooring in the country, is expanding it’s involvement in NASCAR after entering the Craftsman Truck Series as a team sponsor in 2006. “This is a dream partnership. Lumber Liquidators has a long history with the Red Sox and Fenway Sports Group was a big part of why Lumber Liquidators entered NASCAR racing last year,” said Tom Sullivan, chairman and founder of Lumber Liquidators. “As a native Bostonian myself, I can’t wait to see the No. 99 Lumber Liquidators/Red Sox Ford Fusion running up front on Sunday for all the great Red Sox fans in New England and around the nation.”
“It’s exciting to join with two of our partners, the Boston Red Sox and Roush Fenway Racing, to further leverage our NASCAR sponsorship when ‘Gillette Young Gun,’ Carl Edwards, debuts the car at Loudon,” said Michelle Potorski, associate marketing director, Gillette. “We look forward to working with the partners to bring these types of creative ideas to New England sports fans.”
Anyone on the outside looking in would think this was a no-brainer, the logical next step in the partnership between Roush and Fenway. So it’s not the biggest piece of news in the world of racing, but I’m sure die hard Red Sox fans will dig it.
To celebrate Roush Fenway Racing competing for the first time at NHIS under their new name this weekend, the Boston Red Sox will host Roush Fenway Racing Day at Fenway Park presented by Gillette on Friday, June 29 as the Red Sox take on the Texas Rangers. Festivities will include Roush Fenway Racing themed displays and exhibits throughout the ballpark as well as a special pre-game ceremony that will formally introduce Red Sox Nation to the drivers of Roush Fenway Racing. On Monday, July 2 fans are invited to visit the No. 99 Lumber Liquidators/Red Sox Ford Fusion at the Lumber Liquidators Braintree location located at 240 Wood Road. The show car will be on display between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. In addition, Mike Lowell of the Boston Red Sox will make a special appearance between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 pm. You can also see the No. 99 Lumber Liquidators/Red Sox Ford Fusion paint scheme by logging on to lumberliquidators.com.
Now if only someone would run an Oakland A’s themed car…. That’d be niiice!
