All posts tagged Dale Earnhardt Jr.

347 Posts
June 7, 2007 · NASCAR

just remember his legacy

This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions for NASCAR fans. First you have the great high — the victory for Martin Truex Jr. at Dover, his first-ever Cup win.

And then the great low of losing Bill France Jr. the former chairman of NASCAR. After his father (NASCAR’s founder) died, France took charge of his family’s business and grew NASCAR to be the national, ever-growing and highly profitable sport we know today. You have to respect someone who took risks and was dedicated to seeing this league grow. I don’t know the complete history of the France family (of course I’m learning more and more every day) but you’d have to think that building this sport/company must have been a fun ride.
In other news…

– In what I think is the most current issue of ESPN The Magazine they have an article about the new ABC show “Fast Cars & Superstars.” The show comes on tonight and features various celebrities attempting to race stock cars. Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, and Kurt Busch serve as coaches. Serena Williams, Jon Cena, Tony Hawk are some of the celebs participating. This should be fun to watch. I like seeing people realize that it really is harder than you think to “drive around in circles all day.”

– I never got around to writing about Dover. There really isn’t much for me to say about it since I didn’t get to watch it live. A note to Mother Nature: Please stop raining on NASCAR! Some of us have jobs and can’t stay at home on Monday to watch the race.

– At any rate I was very happy to see that Martin Truex Jr. won Dover. I always knew he could do it, and it bothers me to see headlines saying things like “Truex shows DEI’s more than just Junior” because everybody knew that there was more to DEI than just Junior. I don’t remember saying that, do you remember saying that??

:)

And now for some photo goodness:


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Ryan Newman carries a piece of his car after a wreck during the Nextel Prelude to the Dream on June 6, 2007 at Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images for Eldora Speedway)

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Carl Edwards #99 leads Jeff Gordon #24 on the pace lap prior to the start of the Nextel Prelude to the Dream on June 6, 2007 at Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for Eldora Speedway)

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Aric Almirola gets ready to drive during the Nextel Prelude to the Dream on June 6, 2007 at Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images for Eldora Speedway)

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Martin Truex Jr. sprays champagne on the trophy for winning the Autism Speaks 400 Presented by Visa at the Monster Mile, Dover International Speedway. (Photo Credit: Jerry Markland / Getty Images for NASCAR)

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AJ Allmendinger takes a break during practice at Dover International Speedway. (Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)

June 3, 2007 · NASCAR

something to talk about

Joe Gibbs says it’s too early to talk about Dale Earnhardt Jr. joining Gibbs Racing, and I have to agree with the man. Just shut up until Junior makes the announcement. Jeez!
:)

May 30, 2007 · NASCAR

i’d like to buy the world a coke

This is my long overdue follow-up post to my initial comments about the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend. I am still so excited that Casey Mears has finally won his first Nextel Cup series race even though he’s apart of Hendrick “We Win Everything, Suckers!” Motorsports.

So there are couple things I must point out… first off, in this photo of Casey, in victory lane with his teammate Jimmie Johnson, he looks to be on the verge of tears. It’s gotta be one of THE best photos this year.

The photo below proves how much of an emotional win this was for the #25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet team; one guy (on the far right) is actually doing a cartwheel! A cartwheel people, I haven’t done one of those since I was in elementary school and I’m a girl. Anyway, it’s still cute… in a way.


(Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)

It’s amazing to me what a difference one race can make. People make it seem like Casey Mears didn’t exist before this race. You can have all the potential in the world but until you deliver on it you’re not really anybody. I’m not saying I agree with this but I know that evidence speaks volumes and that’s what some people focus on.

I always knew that Casey had it in him; it was just a matter of time. The same goes for Clint Bowyer, J.J. Yeley and Martin Truex Jr. They need to figure out a winning recipe ASAP.

Ya know how some people can go so long without doing “it” that they feel like they’ve become a virgin again? Well I think that might be happening to my guy Dale Earnhardt Jr. I’m just sayin’. He hasn’t won a race in what feels like FOREVER (Actually it was last year at Richmond in May).

So besides the whole awesomeness that was Mears’ win at Charlotte I was very happy for Team Red Bull. They managed to pull out a top-5 finish after it seemed like everybody and Jesus was out to get them. I wouldn’t even want to drive my regular street car without power steering, but Brian Vickers managed to do it at over 180 mph.

It was crappy that AJ Allmendinger was taken out of the race so early in that crash with Jeff Gordon, but at least Brian was able to pull something together. This is great for Toyota. Vickers was able to lead more laps in that one race than all of the Toyota teams put together so far this season.

And now for the fun stuff, photos of hot dudes:


Actor Chris Evans

Actor Chris Evans races fellow “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” cast members in a race simulator at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)

WWE Superstar John Cena

WWE star Jon Cena (left) meets with NASCAR Busch Series Director Joe Balash. (Photo Credit: David Griffin/NASCAR Scene)

May 17, 2007 · NASCAR

lessons learned from NASCAR

For this past weekend’s race at Darlington I was in La La Land (aka Los Angeles). I was at my sister’s house celebrating Mother’s Day.

The great thing about the race being delayed until Sunday was that I was able to watch the race with my nephews. I had never done that before and it was fun explaining to them who I liked (Dale Earnhardt Jr., Casey Mears, Clint Bowyer) and who I didn’t (Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart).

When they asked why I didn’t like Kyle Busch, I said it was because he whined a lot, a problem that my nephews — ages 10 and 8 — could relate to. It suddenly occurred to me that this was a great opportunity to show them how important it was to control their anger, to not whine but to instead articulate their frustrations in a more productive way. Hopefully by seeing my distaste for Busch and Stewart they’d understand that it’s not cool to whine about every little thing that goes wrong for them. Sometimes you just have to take it and move on.

May 13, 2007 · NASCAR

seriously, anybody but gordon

This whole Jeff Gordon winning thing is becoming a problem.

I don’t like the fact that he’s been winning so many races lately. I don’t dislike the man, I’m just tired of him. We know who Jeff Gordon is, we know he’s a winner, blah, blah, blah. I want to see someone else, someone else who can become the next face of NASCAR.

Because even if you’re not a fan of NASCAR you know who Jeff Gordon is. I suspect that Jeffie is a little jealous of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Even though Gordon is still obviously kicking butt and taking names, I think he’s irked that Dale Jr. is more popular than him, especially now that there’s all this hubbub surrounding Junior’s free agent status. If Junior would just get out there and do stuff like Saturday Night Live (and win the Championship) he’d be the new golden boy.

Others are trying to make names for themselves outside of NASCAR, Carl Edwards for example. Lately he’s been on MAD TV and covers of many magazines. Carl has been working it and I appreciate that. He’s making the most of the opportunities that are being given to him. He’s got charisma too, which is helpful. I like Carl, but of course I don’t want him to win a championship before Junior.

If I’m anything I’m loyal.

May 10, 2007 · NASCAR

sad but true: teresa made a mistake

Like whoa.

I come into work this morning and I start up Internet Explorer to find my personalized Google homepage filled with the same headline listed over and over and over again.

“Earnhardt Jr. leaving DEI after the season”

I had to do a double take. Maybe it was just the media being clever trying to trick me but no, it was all true. Dale Earnhardt Jr. scheduled a press conference for today (the invites to the media were sent out midday yesterday) and before the thing even began speculation was flying all over the place about what he was going to announce. Everybody’s money was on him announcing his departure from DEI, and so they were right.

It’s a very sad thing for him to have to leave DEI. It would have been the sweetest thing if he could have stayed and won a championship for the company his dad started. But I guess it wasn’t meant to be that way.

Being the true and dedicated fan that I am I don’t care which team he goes to next, uhm… wait… it can’t be Hendrick, puhleeese don’t go to Hendrick, not like he could anyway they’re already at the 4 team limit. I’m ok with Richard Childress Racing or Joe Gibbs Racing, although him having Tony Stewart as a teammate makes me want to retch, but whatever, I’d get over it.

I really hope that Dale Jr. and his sister Kelley get what they want and find the right team/company that can support their efforts to win (and win consistently).

I thought it was really awesome, and speaks to how cool Dale Jr. is, that he asked Darrell Waltrip to come down for the announcement. Darrell has said many times in the past that he thought Junior would have to DEI at some point in the future in order to really make a run for the Cup championship.

So my next questions are… Is Junior’s crew chief and cousin, Tony Eury Jr., coming with him?


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Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes a break during testing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway Monday. (Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR)

May 2, 2007 · NASCAR

toyota could use some wings

I am invested in the success of Toyota’s NASCAR race teams.

Why you ask?

Well I own a Toyota (a cool and fun Toyota Matrix XR named “Trinity” my homage to the lead female character in “The Matrix” film franchise) and I like the company. So if Toyota isn’t a winner I’m not a winner! Well, sort-of. I don’t take it that seriously but you get my point.

My first car in high school was a 1970-something Toyota Corolla named Betsy (right) that every member of my family drove before it got handed down to me in the late 1990′s. I loved that car, it was old but it lasted for a long time. Toyota knows how to make great cars that last, that are reliable. But now they need to make some race cars that can win, heck, just qualifying would be nice.

While Dave Blaney is currently ranked 3rd (David Reutimann of Michael Waltrip Racing is in 4th) in the points standings for the Busch series — which is really awesome — his teammates at Bill Davis Racing and the other Toyota teams are seriously lagging.

As much as I was annoyed with Brian Vickers for stupidly spinning out Dale Earnhardt Jr. last year (I have a hard time letting things go, can’t ya tell?) at Talladega I’m starting to root for him again. Part of that is because I dig Red Bull (eventhough I’ve never drunk a Red Bull in my life, I appreciate great marketing) and of course Toyota in general.

I feel bad because AJ Allmendinger is completely new to this NASCAR thing and he’s not getting the opportunity to really prove himself, show us all what he can do. Jeremy Mayfield is back but you can hardly tell because he’s only been in 3 races so far this season. I’m looking forward to him racing — competitively — against his ex-Evernham teammates.

Then there’s Michael Waltrip. Only one race under his belt this year and the rest of his race teams are seriously struggling. Dale Jarrett is out of provisionals, so if he doesn’t qualify on time for Richmond he’s not going to be in a Nextel Cup race for the first time after 424 previous starts. Maybe there’s an early retirement ahead for Dale? He’s really good at analyzing the Busch races on ESPN.

In other news…

redbull_marchiando.jpgAt least someone at Red Bull Racing is winning… Today they announced that 20-year-old mechanical engineering student Matthew Marchiando from the University of California-Davis won the first-ever Red Bull Velocity Lab internship. He’ll be spending his summer at the Red Bull Racing race shop in Mooresville, N.C. I post this because he’s local to me (Davis, Calif is an hour north of me in the San Francisco Bay Area). Marchiando’s internship application included a plan on how to perfect “how the front splitter limits front-end travel” on the Car of Tomorrow. Good luck Matthew!

April 28, 2007 · NASCAR, NASCAR WAGs

bobby was due

Yes, Bobby Labonte was due for a win and I’m glad he finally got it today during the Busch race at Talladega.

What I’m more happy/disappointed about is that Casey Mears finished 3rd in the same race. He led laps and was in a position to win it at the end but because of a late caution he got the fuzzy end of the lollipop. Hopefully this’ll give him good momentum into tomorrows NEXTEL Cup race. There are still only two drivers that I want to get a win under their belt for this season, it’s Casey and Dale Earnhardt Jr. For some reason I have this huge interest in Casey. I think it has to do with watching him on the NASCAR Drivers 360 show on ESPN. Once you’re able to see a driver in his regular everyday environment it’s the turning point in whether you root for him or not.

As much as I would like to say that what a person does off the field, track or court shouldn’t matter when it comes to the game that they play, it does to a certain extent. It’s just easier to like the nice guy, even if they do something “bad” during the game.

In other news…

I was alerted by TallGlassOfMilk that the wives and girlfriends of NASCAR drivers are tossing out those boring synthetic fiber credential lanyards in favor of stylish beaded ones. Check out the photo gallery of the girls sporting their trendy necklace-esque lanyards on AnswerThis…

April 24, 2007 · NASCAR

junior says throw toilet paper, not beer cans

I just got off a teleconference call with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

It wasn’t just me on the call (I wish), it was for all NASCAR media. Anyway, Dale basically said that there’s nothing for the fans to worry about when it comes to his contract negotiations with DEI.

In regards to the contract issues he said, “I’m pretty excited that things are going to be fine.” I think that his fans should be happy for him in whatever happens; because it’s obviously what he thinks is best for him, the team, and his family.

All I know is that I can’t wait for these negotiations to be over so we can all focus on other important things like… uhm… things that I can think of right now, but I know there’s other things people could be talking about.

Sort of like this…

Should Jeff Gordon surpass Dale Earnhardt in the career victories category this coming weekend at Talladega (they’re currently tied at 6th with 76 wins each), Junior says that people should throw toilet paper instead of beer cans, if they’re upset about Gordon moving ahead of his father in the record books. I should clarify that he’s not encouraging people to be mad about it, he’s just doesn’t want anyone to get hurt.

April 23, 2007 · Uncategorized

jeff gordon can win, cook

I must confess that I missed the bulk of Saturday night’s NEXTEL Cup Series race at Phoenix because I was out looking at models of homes that I can only hope to afford at some point in my life (please!).

I managed to catch a smidgen of the race wrap-up long enough to find out that Jeff Gordon won (ew) and that Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished back in 19th, not a lap down.

On Sunday I checked my email and found a press release containing a photo of Jeff Gordon seasoning some food with renowned Bay Area chef Victor Scargle at Infineon Raceway (see below). Gordon attended the luncheon at Infineon to promote the Toyota/Save Mart 350 and his line of wine, the Jeff Gordon Collection. The media event was filled with the usual yuk-yuk jokes and adulation that’s par for the course at events of this nature.

“This is scary. Tony Stewart doesn’t scare me but this scares me,” Gordon said of preparing the meal.

“Jeff is the best at what he does on the racetrack and to come into the kitchen with an open mind like he did was great,” Scargle said. “He has the hand-eye coordination down. There’s a second career waiting for him if he needs it.”

It would have been a nice shindig to attend, only because McDreamy himself was in attendence. Yep, Patrick Dempsey of “Grey’s Anatomy” was there, apparently he was involved in the filming of a documentary about Jeff Gordon’s life that’s set to air before the Pepsi 400 in July.


NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon and renowned Bay Area chef Victor Scargle prepare a meal for the media on Sunday at Infineon Raceway. (photo credit: Mike Doran)

April 16, 2007 · NASCAR

says a lot about a person

To say that I would love it if there was a full-blown feud between Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart would be a huge understatement.

When Montoya caused Stewart to spin out this weekend at Texas I was as giddy as a schoolgirl that just got asked to go to prom. The minute it happened I knew Stewart would be mad, pissy, and whiny and that Montoya’s days were numbered. Once you’re on the Stewart shit list you’re done.

It adds more excitement and anticipation to next weekend’s race at Phoenix. Of course I don’t want anyone to get hurt I do love it when people exact revenge on each other. While the incident at Texas doesn’t require serious revenge tactics, I think if Juan Pablo happens to come up behind Tony early in the race some unnecessary blocking would be in order.

On the other side of this debacle was the fact that Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car was ruined after Kyle Busch ran into the back of him while trying to avoid Stewart’s spinout. This of course made me so incredibly mad (just ask my friend who was watching the race with me, “they can’t hear you Valli,” he said).

Anyway, after some work on his car Junior went out again but then was off again. Busch’s car was still sitting in the garage with his team trying to get it back out on the track. So Busch leaves the track altogether. His team was able to get the car going again but without their driver they turned to Junior who was happy to take it back out on the track again so that the #5 team could gain some points.

Let’s all take a moment to sigh and think about how sweet Junior is. :)

Hehe, ok, ok, but the point is that that was a very nice thing of him to do and he didn’t have to do that, they’re not even teammates. You think little whiny baby Kyle would do that for Junior? I highly doubt it. Or at least I want to doubt it ’cause he’s just a big freak. Why leave?? You have nothing else planned for the rest of the day because you were supposed to be in the race, so why the big rush to go home?

April 13, 2007 · NASCAR

crash into me

It’s funny to me that Jeff Gordon is the current points leader for the Nextel Cup Series and yet nobody is talking about him, well some are but only to say that he’s probably not going to win the race this weekend at Texas.

That’s totally fine with me, I don’t want him to win, there are other people that need to win a race right now.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. needs to win one to keep his charge up the points standings going and to give his contract negotiations with DEI an extra sense of urgency. Not that it really needs it but DEI needs a slap in the face to realize that they need to just end all this damn suspense and just sign him, give him his majority stake and call it a day.

I’m sooo tired of all the media coverage surrounding the contract talks with Dale Jr., I rank it right up there with all the hype about Juan Pablo Montoya joining NASCAR. Big whoop.

In other news…

Because it’s Friday the 13th here’s a video of NASCAR crashes I found on YouTube. (Need something to blog about? YouTube baby! it’s gold!)

I’m posting this because:
1) Who doesn’t love crashes?
2) I dig Chris Daughtry (an American Idol alum, that’s his song “Crashed” playing in the background)
3) Because I have nothing else to talk about (but you still love me)



April 11, 2007 · Uncategorized

mcgrath joins jr motorsports

It’s official. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has signed Supercross superstar — and hottie –Jeremy McGrath to his JR Motorsports team. McGrath will be racing late model cars sponsored by Monster Energy Drink.

Here’s more from the press release:

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 11, 2007) — JR Motorsports introduced seven-time Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath as its newest late model driver on Tuesday, pairing one of the most popular Supercross stars of all time with NASCAR’s four-time most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The announcement was made at the grand opening of the team’s new 66,000-square foot shop. McGrath will compete in a limited 10-race schedule in a Chevrolet late model stock car sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, with R&B Auto Body Transport Refinishing as an associate sponsor. His first race is slated for April 21 at Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, N.C.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to try, and I’m really grateful that Dale Jr. is giving me this opportunity to drive one of his race cars,” McGrath said. “We are going to test this week, weather permitting. I’ve got a lot to learn when it comes to racing something with four wheels, but I’m confident I can pick it up pretty quick.”

The addition of McGrath and the Monster Energy car gives JRM its third late model entry. Scott Young and Curtis Truex Jr. currently compete in full-season touring schedules in late model cars sponsored by R&B. JR Motorsports also fields a full-time NASCAR Busch Series team with driver Shane Huffman and full-time USAR Hooters Pro Cup team with driver Richard Boswell. All of these teams operate out of the new JR Motorsports facility located in Mooresville, N.C.

“I’m proud to have Jeremy here, and it’s cool to see how excited he is about getting into one of these late models,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I like his approach, his mentality, and the energy he brings to this shop. I know this isn’t just some fleeting interest on his part. He is as serious about this as anyone I’ve ever been around.”

McGrath is easily one of the most recognizable motorcycle racers of all time, as he dominated Supercross from 1993-2004, compiling 74 main event victories and seven titles. He also won the gold medal in the 2004 X-Games Step-Up competition, and earned silver in the 2005 X-Games Supermoto.

“I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of success in Supercross, but this is a new type of racing for me,” McGrath said. “I want to succeed at this. It’s not like I’m coming in here and saying that I’m going to be a Nextel Cup driver or anything like that. I want to focus on this chance.”

JR Motorsports
JR Motorsports, a Mooresville, N.C., based company solely-owned by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., is a growing team in NASCAR Busch Series, USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series and late model stock car competition. Founded in 2002, the team is entering into its second season in the NASCAR Busch Series with the U.S. Navy and driver Shane Huffman. In addition to fielding the No. 88 Navy Accelerate Your Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the NASCAR Busch Series, JR Motorsports also fields the No. 88 Champion Chevrolet in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series with driver Richard Boswell. Scott Young and Curtis Truex Jr. are a part of the R&B Late Model Driver Development Program in the Nos. 71 and 73 R&B Chevrolets and compete at short track across the Southeast. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.jrmotorsport.com.

Dale Jr. still wants to own the majority of DEI, duh, and I think the acquisition of McGrath to his JR Motorsports team proves that he’s really into growing a team, putting together a solid foundation for the future. For DEI there is no future without Junior as far as I’m concerned, if they don’t give him the majority stake in the team then they’ve got nothing.

April 10, 2007 · NASCAR

the guy not taken

In a semi-recent interview with Sports Illustrated Dale Earnhardt Jr. said that he may not be the marrying kind. Here’s an excerpt:

SI: Do you hope to get married one day?

Earnhardt: If it happens, it happens. It’s a hell of a commitment. Can’t you just hang with them? Do you have to get married? I imagine marriage changes the atmosphere of the relationship for the worse.

And millions of women around the country cry into their Dale Earnhardt Jr. licensed pillows.
:)

In other news…

Carl Edwards has set out on a campaign to prove that he is the most buff and athletic NASCAR race car driver that has ever lived. Lately he’s been on the cover of Men’s Fitness, and Men’s Health. Maybe this is his way of proving to the sports world that NASCAR is indeed a legitimate sport that requires strength and training, or maybe he’s just trying to prove that he’s hot shirtless. I’m thinking it’s a combination of both.

So now the question is which cover is better??? I’m going with ESPN.



March 28, 2007 · NASCAR

the car of annoying

Even though Kyle Busch won, Sunday’s race at Bristol was great. I loved that it ended in a green, white, and checkered; you didn’t know who was going to win it until the very last lap.

There were other reasons to happy with this race:

– A.J. Allmendinger finally got to race in the NEXTEL Cup Series! He finished in 40th after starting in the 43rd position. So he wasn’t exactly a contender but at least he got to participate, and in that really pathetic sense he won! But really, I am happy that his Red Bull team got to compete. Now if Michael Waltrip can get his act together maybe we can get all of the Toyota teams on the track at the same time.

– Everybody can stop talking about that damn Car of Tomorrow. Bristol was the debut for the new, somewhat ugly car that ups safety and headroom for the drivers. I don’t know about you but I don’t like that “wing” they’ve added to the back of the car, it just looks odd and out of place. I can appreciate the value of adding safety features for the benefit of the drivers but anything else is over my head. I can’t really have an opinion about its effect on the competition since I’m not the one who has to drive it every weekend. But I can say this: Please, no more montages, specials, cut-away cars about the Car of Tomorrow. We got it! We know what it is, what’s different, what’s good, what’s bad, we’re over it! Move on!

– Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished in 7th place after starting in the 31st position. This is such a huge boost for his team and for my sanity. Hopefully they can keep this momentum going into Martinsville this weekend and continue his move up in the points standings.

– While watching some of the Busch race coverage at Bristol I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was extremely weird to have Brent Musburger covering NASCAR. He does basketball, football, heck even golf, but NASCAR? Uhm, no. It just doesn’t seem right to me. It’s not that he’s bad at it so much as it’s just not what he’s known for. It’s like if they moved Dick Vitale from covering college basketball to women’s gymnastics. Ok, maybe it’s not that severe, but you get my point.

– Here’s another reason why my nickname of “Teddy Bear” for Casey Mears is on point:

Roger Mears, father of Casey Mears, drives his son’s motor coach from race to race during the NASCAR season and is a familiar face at the track. However, the former off-road racer won’t be so easy to find this weekend in Martinsville. Roger Mears, who celebrated his 60th birthday last Saturday, will be at the Barrett-Jackson auction — also known as the “World’s Greatest Collector Car Event” — in Palm Beach, Fla., from March 28 to April 1. The younger Mears, driver of the No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, arranged for his father to attend the event as a birthday present and even slipped a blank check in with the ticket. “I still don’t know what to say,” said Roger Mears, who rarely misses SPEED Channel’s Barrett-Jackson Car Search program and plans to make the trip south with his brother, open-wheel legend Rick Mears. “It’s a pretty amazing thing to do for your dad. I was speechless.”

Isn’t that sweet? Good job Casey. :)

March 15, 2007 · NASCAR, NASCAR WAGs

v is for valli and vegas

This is my long overdue post about Las Vegas. This post is already so old that tomorrow is qualifying for this weekend’s race at Atlana. Geesh! I apologize, there has been a lot going on lately but now I will entertain you with my thoughts on the race in Vegas.

– First off, Monday was Casey Mears’ (left) birthday. He turned 29 and received a lousy gift from Robby Gordon in the form of a crash that took him out of the race at Vegas on Sunday for a little while. He ended up finishing in a very unhappy 40th place. (photo credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)

– Overall, I kinda felt like the race at Las Vegas was boring. I know there were a bunch of crashes but it still didn’t seem very exciting. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Jimmie Johnson won for the third straight time at the track. It’s just boring when the same people win. I just want a newbie (or semi-newbie) to win one finally! Ya hear that Clint Bowyer? J.J. Yeley??

– There was a lot of star power at this race in the form of Mark Wahlberg (promoting his new flick “Shooter”), MTV VJ Vanessa Minnillo, singer Nick Lachey (who is dating Vanessa), Magic Johnson and the wrestler Goldberg. The only person I ever saw on camera during the race was Mark Wahlberg who mentioned something about wanting to do a movie about racing. I’ll totally take you up on that one Mark! Great idea. He’d make a hot race car driver.

– This point has nothing to do with the Cup race at Vegas, but everything to do with the Busch Series race on Saturday. I don’t like ESPN’s coverage of the races because the only guy in the booth that really knows anything is Rusty Wallace (former Cup driver). The other guys in the booths are asking him questions like, “What’s that?” “What does that do??” OK, so I’m exaggerating but it comes close. And to be fair, it’s not all of the guys on the ESPN team, certainly not the pit road reporters, but it’s enough to make me wonder how they got their jobs.

And now on to the photos…

How hot is Rookie Aric Almirola?? That hot!

Aric Almirola walks in the garage area on Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Former wrestler Bill Goldberg jokes around with Roush Racing crew member Dave “Mule” Nichols at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Greg Biffle (left) and crew chief Pat Tryson look on. (Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks with Magic Johnson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. (Photo Credit: John Harrleson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Yes folks, they’re that skinny!

Left to right: Jimmie Johnson, Chandra Johnson, Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey celebrate Johnson’s win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Mark Wahlberg talks to the media on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Photo Credit: Harry How/Getty Images)

March 11, 2007 · NASCAR

waxy buildup

Wax figures of Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were unveiled at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday. I think that Madame Tussauds did an excellent job with Petty’s likeness. As you can see in the photo below it’s hard to tell which one is the real Richard Petty and which is his wax counterpart.

Unfortunately they didn’t get things quite as right for Dale Jr. I don’t think it really looks like him. I mean, his forehead isn’t nearly that large. What do you think?


wax_pettyjr.jpg

In a photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau, Dale Earnhardt Jr., center left, and Richard Petty, center right, stand next to their wax figures during an unveiling at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, March 9, 2007, in Las Vegas. The wax figures will be on display during NASCAR UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 before being taken to Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Las Vegas News Bureau, Brian Jones)

March 9, 2007 · NASCAR

you’re killin’ me, smalls

If you’ve seen any of the headlines regarding Dale Earnhardt Jr. lately you would think this weekend’s NEXTEL Cup Series race at Las Vegas was the last race of the season. One such article was titled, “Earnhardt, Jr.’s season hinges on Las Vegas run.”

So much doom and gloom. I mean, really?? Last I checked this was only the THIRD race of the year! I know that winning a Championship relies on winning races and finishing at the top of the order each week, but crap happens and people can come back.

That’s the problem with being so popular, and being the son of a legend, everybody is watching you and they’re waiting for one little crack so they can jump on it drag it out longer than necessary.

Leave the guy alone and please stop talking about Jr. needing to jump on the Childress bandwagon. Why can’t he be successful at DEI?? I don’t see any reason why they can’t make it happen with the company his father built. The story in the end, when he does win a Championship with DEI, would be so much sweeter that way.


bristol_jr.jpg

Dale Earnhardt Jr., left, and Martin Truex Jr. watch other drivers turn laps during the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow test at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday morning, Feb. 28, 2007, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Bristol Herald Courier, Andre Teague)

vegas_track.jpg

Workers paint the track at the start/finish line at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas on Thursday, March 8, 2007, as they prepare for a weekend of NASCAR auto racing. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

March 4, 2007 · NASCAR

you just can’t win that way

Dear Juan Pablo,

Congratulations on winning your first NASCAR Busch Series race! Today’s race in Mexico meant a lot to you and Latinos everywhere. I know that you were really excited and anxious to get a win under your belt, but did you really need to take out your own teammate, Scott Pruett, to do it? Frankly this type of behavior is inexcusable. You just don’t do that type of thing. You had the better car, we all knew it, why couldn’t you have held off and passed him cleanly in another area of the track?

This taints your win and even though you said you didn’t mean to, this is going to follow you around for a while. Don’t you remember just last year when Brian Vickers made that bonehead move at Talladega that took out his teammate Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Yea, many people weren’t very happy with him after that.

Your own Crew Chief, Brad Parrott, was crying after the race because he felt so bad that you screwed over someone on your team. That alone speaks volumes, as it is something that I have never seen in NASCAR before today. You should feel bad, very, very bad! You made a grown man cry!

Ok, ok, so I’m sure this will all blow over in a couple weeks, but don’t think people are going to forget about this. Make sure the next time you win you don’t step on someone else to get there.

Sincerely,
Valli

February 27, 2007 · NASCAR, NASCAR WAGs

jeffie loves paparazzi

So the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway in Fontana, California was this past weekend and there were many highlights. There’s a lot to cover so lets get to it.

– R&B singer Brian McKnight sang the national anthem and was absolutely wonderful! He wasn’t pitchy at all, unlike Country duo Big and Rich at Daytona.

– Actor Kevin Costner’s announcement of “Gentlemen, start your engines” thoroughly sucked. I think they should have actor/hottie Matthew McConaughey do it every week. He was the Grand Marshal of the Daytona 500 in 2005 and he kicked butt in delivering those most famous words in motor sports. It’s not that big a deal really but it’s so nice to have someone spice it up a little. McConaughey is total character and if you’ve seen his work in the movie “Dazed and Confused” you know what I mean.

– Even though it was completely disheartening to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. leave the race early due to engine problems, it was very funny to watch him take a bow after managing to keep his car from hitting the wall. See Teresa, he can do both — be a race car driver AND a personality!

– On the other hand it wasn’t funny at all to watch David Reutimann after his car crashed into the wall late in the race. It was obvious that he was hurt watching him slumped in his seat and then slow to finally pull his window net down. Apparently the g-force impact from the crash was among the hardest ever recorded. Now there’s one record book I wouldn’t want to be a part of. But most importantly Reutimann was able to walk away from it all and is doing ok now.

– After Jeff Gordon finished 2nd on Sunday he headed over to the Vanity Fair Oscar party at Morton’s in West Hollywood with his pregnant wife (and NON-Supermodel) Ingrid Vandebosch.


Jeff Gordon and his wife Ingrid Vandebosch arrive at the annual Vanity Fair Oscar party at Morton’s in West Hollywood, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)

Brian McKnight sings the national anthem prior to the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. (Photo Credit: Donal Miralle/Getty Images)

Aren’t his eyes gorgeous? And they perfectly match his sponsor’s colors

J.J. Yeley is ready to practice his No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet at California Speedway on Saturday. (Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)

David Reutimann (00) slides to a stop after a crash in turn 4 at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. , Sunday,Feb. 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Dave Waters)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. bows to the crowd after spinning out and missing the wall in Turn 4 at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Dave Waters)

A skull design decorates the back of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s helmet in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Auto Club 500 in Fontana, Calif., Friday, Feb. 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Mark Avery)

February 19, 2007 · Daytona - Speedweeks, NASCAR

daytona in short

Apparently Kevin Harvick hasn’t seen the animated movie “Cars,” because if he had he would have let Mark Martin win!

I know, I know, Kevin Harvick won the Daytona 500 fair and square, but still. Mark Martin has done everything but win the 500 and a Cup Championship and this is his last year racing in the Cup series. Harvick has a million years left in his career; this was Martin’s last chance.

Honestly my heart hurts for Mark Martin, I wish he could of edged out Harvick. He was so freaking close.

My other disappointments for the day included Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer who both ended up in big crashes late in the race.

Overall there aren’t many highlights of note. Kelly Clarkson‘s pre-race mini concert was just OK. She sang “Since U Been Gone”, “Miss Independent” (during which they unfurled a big picture of the Statue of Liberty, can you say lame?) and some new song that I’d never heard of before.

Country duo Big and Rich sang the national anthem and Nicolas Cage gave told the drivers to start their engines. I don’t know if it was just me but his hair looked a little weird (see below). At least his movie “Ghost Rider” was tops at the box office this weekend.


“Happy” Harvick himself

Winner Kevin Harvick, left, rookie David Ragan, center, and second-place Mark Martin speak during a news conference following the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)

Luckily Clint Bowyer walked away from this mess without any problems

Flames lick from Clint Bowyer’s car, while Carl Edwards (99) passes by on the track following a crash on the last lap of the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

No autographs for you Jeff Gordon fans!

NASCAR fans peer through the windows into the garage area as Jeff Gordon watches preparations for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007. (AP Photo/Glenn Smith)

Am I right or am I right? Scary hair for Nicolas Cage

Actor Nicolas Cage, grand marshal for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race and who appears in the upcoming movie “Ghost Rider,” speaks during a news conference at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)

Speaking of scary hair, here’s Kelly with extensions

Singer Kelly Clarkson entertains prior to the start of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

And here’s Kelly with just her real hair

Singer Kelly Clarkson, right, talks with driver Martin Truex Jr. at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007, the day before the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

insert a clip of the annoying song “bad day” here

Car parts lie outside a garage following the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

February 14, 2007 · Daytona - Speedweeks, NASCAR

bad crew chiefs, bad, bad

I don’t care.

I don’t care that four crew chiefs were suspended for cheating this week. And you wanna know why I don’t care? Because it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t do anything to their teams. Yes it sets them back in points and money, but they’ll find replacement chiefs and the team will still compete on Sunday.

The race is what matters and if NASCAR really wants to punish people for cheating they shouldn’t allow them to compete. It’s ridiculous.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. accidentally curses on national television (this was a couple years back if my memory serves me) and he’s docked points but a bunch of people cheat on purpose and they’re docked points too. It doesn’t match up in my eyes.

Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth are hot, big name drivers right now, but I think we could live without them in the Daytona 500 this year if that’s what it takes to get teams to realize that you can’t get away with this type of behavior anymore.

February 11, 2007 · Uncategorized

true story

I realized something tonight while I was trying to get to sleep. I figured out one of the reasons why I’m a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan.

I didn’t become a true NASCAR fan until the year of Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s death. His death was incredibly tragic and because of that fact it called attention to the sport of racing. A while after the accident occurred MTV aired the documentary “True Life: I’m a Race Car Driver” that featured Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

There were a lot of things that I learned by watching the documentary, just about the sport in general, the different driver personalities, but the most intriguing thing was to see the relationship between Dale Earnhardt and his son.

I think because of the fractured relationship I have with my own father, I have this obsession with watching the wonderful relationship other people have with their fathers. I think it is the sweetest thing in the world to see a father who truly cares about and believes in his children. I saw all of that in Dale Earnhardt.

And so after his death I wanted to watch Dale Jr. and see how he would respond to losing his father that he obviously respected and loved deeply.

Over the past 6 years (I still can’t believe it’s been that long) I’ve seen a young man grow, learn and mature. I will always be a fan of his because from all outward appearances he has grown into the man that I’m sure his father had always hoped he would be.

February 1, 2007 · NASCAR

new kids on the block

I have to let you in on something that severely hurts my heart every time I think about it. Maybe by writing about it it won’t hurt as much.

I could have gone to the NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this week, but for reasons I won’t go into here I wasn’t able to attend.

This makes me severely depressed. I mean, what could be better than spending three days in Vegas with Dale Earnhardt Jr.?, I mean, with all those NASCAR drivers and their teams? Right, yeah, that’s what I meant.

But I’m moving on and I’m looking forward to the season ahead. There are a bunch of new faces to watch this year, for example, Ricky Carmichael and A.J. Allmendinger.

Ricky comes from the world of motocross and A. J. is from Champ Car. Carmichael is only 27 but yet his name is synonymous with motocross (and local Morgan Hill company Fox Racing). He won’t be in the Nextel Cup series anytime soon though, he’ll work his way up from the bottom, starting with super-late-model and Arca races. Which I think is the totally right way to go. I don’t like the idea of people being able to just jump into Nextel Cup races straight outta the gate.

That’s like a famous pro football player switching to baseball and being the starting picture for a major league team. Ridiculous. They should go down to some minor league team, learn and prove themselves.

But apparently Allmendinger is good enough to roll right on into Cup racing. He’ll be apart of Team Red Bull in a Toyota Camry ride.

In other news…

Oh how I wish I had DirecTV right now. DirecTV is launching a new premium service called HotPass that will allow you to watch ONLY your favorite driver during a NASCAR race.

Each channel has its own announcers dedicated to that driver, real-time stats and six different cameras. At any given time, two of those angles are shown — along with the network feed — on a triple-split screen.

NASCAR’s entire 37-race season costs $99 for DirecTV subscribers. And starting in 2008, everything will be available in high definition.

”It’s the home-team channel for your driver,” said Chris Long, the executive producer for HotPass. ”You’re going to hear driver audio. You’ll have the ability to listen (to the team), or you can listen to the announcers.”

The access is amazing, but I wonder how much longer it’ll be before we’re watching our fave drivers 24/7, while their showering or eating dinner. Read more about this by clicking here.


Jimmie Johnson poses with two young fans on Jimmie Johnson Day in San Diego on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 at the San Diego Hall of Champions. (Photo Credit: Kent Horner/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Kyle Busch, left, talks with Dale Earnhardt Jr., right, during NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing. (Photo Credit: Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images for NASCAR)

AJ Allmendinger takes a break during NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Dale Jarrett talks with the media during NASCAR Preseason Thunder at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Photo Credit: Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Go Colts!

January 11, 2007 · Daytona - Speedweeks, NASCAR, NASCAR WAGs

don’t leave DEI, puhleeze

Even though the first race of the NASCAR season is still 37 days away — the prestigious Daytona 500 — racing has begun. Sort of.

Officially titled NASCAR Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder at Daytona, teams began testing their cars for the upcoming season. Teams that were in odd-number positions in the car owner standings as of July 12, 2006 tested this week. The even-numbered teams will test next week.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the fastest car in practice on Tuesday but of course that was overshadowed by the so-called drama between him and his step-mother Teresa Earnhardt.

Teresa was originally quoted as saying this to the Wall Street Journal. Junior then said this at a press conference on Monday. To which Ricky Rudd gave his two cents on Tuesday (he was asked for his opinion, so it’s not like he just busted out with it).

I just hope that this all blows over, Junior renews his deal with DEI and we can all get back to racing and trying to win!

In other news…

– Greg Biffle got engaged over the holidays to his kick-ass girlfriend Nicole Lunders. She’s the woman who got so pissed with Kurt Busch, after he put Biffle’s car into the wall at Texas last year, that she stormed over to Busch’s pit box and chewed out his fiancée Eva Bryan. That was the coolest thing I had seen at a race in a very long time.

– This year’s NASCAR Day has been set for May 18th.

Fans interested in participating in NASCAR Day can purchase a pin, sign up his or her company and even purchase NASCAR Day apparel by going to www.nascar.com/foundation. NASCAR fans, corporations, schools and organizations across the country are encouraged to donate $5 and all participants receive a collectible 2007 NASCAR Day lapel pin for their donation.


Kasey Kahne signs autographs for fans during NASCAR Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway. (All Photos Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

December 24, 2006 · Books, NASCAR

xmas everyday

Merry Christmas Eve!

I had intended on posting an entry about great Christmas gifts for those racing fans on your list this year, but of course I was sidetracked by other things (work). I’m in La La Land (aka Los Angeles) and finally have some time to sit down and knock out at least half of the list.

1.) “Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby” DVD — This movie is an instant classic. Will Ferrell is hilarious as Ricky Bobby, a cocky NASCAR driver who gets knocked down a few pegs by newcomer, French race-car driver Jean Girard (played brilliantly by Sacha Baron Cohen of “Borat” fame). It’s a fun movie, full of jokes that poke fun at NASCAR. There are tons of memorable quotes, but my personal fave comes from Ricky Bobby himself “Hi. I’m Ricky Bobby. If you don’t chew Big Red, then f%&! you.” The movie also includes cameos from Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, and Darrell Waltrip amongst many others.

2.) “Cars” DVD — I’ll be honest with you. I haven’t actually seen this movie yet. I know, I know, where have I been? I know this movie is good, I mean duh it’s from Pixar. Has there been a bad Pixar movie yet? Plus I’ve heard from very good sources (my three nephews) that this movie is a winner and that’s good enough for me.

3.) Calendars — I have to have calendars, and in different sizes. I have a small one for work and then a big one at home. Since Dale Earnhardt Jr. is my driver of choice, his calendars are the only way to go. But you can find them for pretty much any driver you happen to love. Some new things I’ve found this year is a calendar that honors women in motor sports. It’s called the 2007 Women in the Winner’s Circle and proceeds will go to charity. For those Dale Jr. lovers out there, there is a cool new calendar that shows his life “Off the Track.”

4.) “Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Inside the Rise of a NASCAR Superstar” Book — Love photos? Love photos of Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Well then look no further, this is the book for you! I have personally checked this book out for myself and it’s great. There are awesome photos of Junior in and out of his #8 Chevrolet.

That’s all for now, I’ll post more great racing related items you should own later.

December 20, 2006 · NASCAR WAGs

meet me in the infield

Here are a few things that you may have already heard but I’ve just been slow to write about:

– Jeff Gordon and his new wife Ingrid announced last week that they’re expecting their first child in July. This comes as no surprise to me because she’s been looking preggers ever since they first got together. It was only a matter of time before it was real. I kid, I kid. I wish them all the best. (photo credit: AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

– Rumors are swirling that Dale Jr. might wanna hightail it out of DEI in light of recent comments made by Teresa Earnhardt. Teresa told the Wall Street Journal that Junior needed to decide “whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality.”

All I can say is this: Can we please just let the guy win a championship before we speculate about him leaving DEI?? Puhleese!! I mean, ok, so he has a rocky relationship with Teresa, but he’s just gotten back with Tony Eury Jr. as his Crew Chief in 2006 and they’re finally working on winning again. His confidence is up, leave him alone! Alone I tell you! I’m sure Kyle Busch would rather have all of the media’s attention right now, why doesn’t someone go do a story about him.

– Since we’re on the subject of Dale Jr., and since he’s where most of my traffic comes from, you have to check out his latest business endeavor. It’s called InfieldParking.com, a MySpace-like website for racing fans. It’s in a pre-launch beta phase, which means they don’t have all the bugs and features figured out, but they want your input so sign up. Once you do be sure to add me as your friend.

November 30, 2006 · Uncategorized

ring around the trophy

For what feels like the fifty billionth time, but really it’s only been four, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won the the NASCAR NMPA Chex® Most Popular Driver award today at the NASCAR Myers Brothers Award Luncheon in New York City. (photo credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR)

All I can say is doesn’t that trophy look like they’re playing Ring Around the Rosie? Instead of giving him some big bronze trophy that’ll take up space, why not just make a box of cereal with his photo on it? It could be a special commemorative box they can hawk in supermarkets all over the country. I’d buy it, which isn’t really saying much, but still.

It should be noted that Bay Area native Jeff Gordon came in second in the voting, followed by Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Michael Waltrip, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and Elliott Sadler.

In local news… Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday, December 1st) for the 2007 Big O Tires Racing Season at Infineon Raceway. Get online and buy tickets early for the NASCAR, NHRA, AMA, and IRL race weekends.

November 29, 2006 · NASCAR

he does all his own driving too

A note to the ladies: Dale Earnhardt Jr. is growing a goatee again. Yes, say it with me, “hotness.” hehe. Apparently he hasn’t renewed his deal with the Gillette Young Guns campaign so he is free to not shave again. (photo credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

In other Junior news he told reporters this week that he wrote his own speech for the Championship Awards Ceremony this Friday.

“[The banquet is] such a high-pressure deal,” Earnhardt said. “You’re trying to represent your own team and company. I chose to write my own speech and found out that I’m only one of a few. I thought everybody wrote their own speeches.

“So I’m a little nervous now that I’m going to represent everybody well with my speech and that everybody’s acknowledged. It’ll be fun to get up there; it’ll be nice when it’s over. Nobody really likes to get up on stage to talk to that many people, but we’ll get through it.”

The thing that I find odd is that the other drivers are having people write their speeches for them. It boggles my mind. How hard is it to write something that basically just says thank you to your team, your team owner, your wife and/or mom, your family and the fans? You’re not the President, jeez.

And now for some photos from the day’s festivities in New York:




Jimmie Johnson poses with a young NASCAR fan in Times Square on Wednesday. (Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)



The top 10 drivers in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series pose for a photo in Times Square. (Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

November 21, 2006 · NASCAR

best video ever

After the debacle that was Talladega last month, I was quite upset, as you can read in my post entitled ‘are you serious?? c’mon!’. I was beyond mad when Brian Vickers spun out his own teammate, Jimmie Johnson, and the leader of the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the last lap of the race.

But apparently I wasn’t as mad as some other Dale Jr. fans. Actually I was but it wasn’t caught on tape. WARNING: This video contains some strong language, so don’t play it when your kids or your boss are around.

But here’s the kicker, this video found it’s way to Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin… They laughed about it during a press conference before the race at Homestead. Apparently Jimmie Johnson hadn’t seen it yet, but Junior said he’d send it to him. Enjoy Jimmie!

November 20, 2006 · NASCAR, NASCAR WAGs

good guys finish first

So Jimmie Johnson is the 2006 NEXTEL Cup Champion. Congratulations to him and his team. I’m honestly happy for him and overall I’m happy for Dale Jr. too. He finished fifth in the points and had an awesome year considering he didn’t even make the chase last year. So I think there’s more good stuff to come for the #8 team, his Championship is just around the corner.

And lets not forget about Denny Hamlin. I think it’s pretty amazing that in his rookie year he ends up in third place overall.

All of the racing is over but we’ve still got the awards ceremony and dinner in New York to look forward to in the coming weeks. It’s one of my favorite things to watch. You get to see everyone all dolled up in their tuxes and evening gowns. I really think they don’t show enough of everyone walking down the red carpet before the festivities begin. I want to see the dresses, the shoes, the hair, etc. They never spend enough time just showing everybody.

This is the first photo I looked at from this Sunday’s race and I just thought it was cute.

Chandra Johnson, wife of driver Jimmie Johnson, reacts as her husband thanks her during a news conference at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla. Sunday Nov. 19, 2006. Johnson won the Nextel Championship trophy. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

November 17, 2006 · NASCAR

it’s come to this

This is a big weekend for NASCAR fans. This Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami is the last race of the 2006 season and it will decide who will win the NEXTEL Cup Championship.

Jimmie Johnson leads the Chase and has to finish 12 or better to clinch the title, but at the same time there are 4 other drivers that are still mathematically eligible to win the Cup.

I really, really want Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win, this should come as no surprise, and he still has a slim chance of at making it happen. I’m not saying that I want Johnson’s car to run into some problems, but I am. :)

I will say this though, I do agree with Matt Kenseth when he compared Johnson’s team to the Indianapolis Colts. They’ve both come so close to winning the championship in the past but always seem to get in their own way and can’t seem to close the deal. And for that reason I won’t be completely irked if the Lowe’s team comes out on top this year.

Since this is the last race of the season I should probably be sad, but I’m not. NASCAR isn’t like football or baseball when you have to wait for months and months for the season to begin again, so long that you forget who got traded where. With NASCAR it’s basically two months and we’re back in the game again.

Sunday also marks Juan Pablo Montoya’s first ride in a Cup car. I can’t remember which race it was earlier this year but they interviewed JP during a pre-race show and asked him how he liked NASCAR so far. He said that he found pit road to be a bit scary, with the crew members jumping out in front of his car as he made his stop. I was sooo glad a real racer said that, because those Formula 1, Indy Car peeps have it easy. They’re already in place for their stops, they don’t have to run and carry big, heavy tires.

But then again, it’s still dangerous, check out this F1 pit stop:

October 25, 2006 · NASCAR

i’m not obsessed or anything

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. spun out at the end of the race last Sunday at Martinsville I was very disappointed. Worst of all, I had no one to blame except Junior himself. In a post-race interview he took responsibility for his mistake. Noble, but irritating. I don’t want to see him mess up; there is a Championship at stake after all. I’m just being honest, which isn’t to say that I don’t get that he’s a human being, he’s not Superman.

Anytime anything happens to Dale Jr., good or bad, the media always turn to his large fan base. They’ll usually say something along the lines of something like this from the NASCAR SceneDaily Blog:

The sea of red shirts, caps and jackets decorating the Martinsville grandstands made a collective slump as smoke boiled from the No. 8′s tires and his run toward an unlikely victory suddenly ended.

Which bugs me too… Why? Because I’d much rather have a favorite driver that only 5 people liked instead of 5 million. Plus I like Junior because he seems like a good guy, someone you’d… uhm… I’m not going into this. Anytime anyone tries to explain why they like someone they’ve never met it starts to sound really … weird.

So, moving on… Going into the race at Atlanta this weekend, Junior has had one win and eight top ten finishes out of the last 14 races there, so he’s got a good chance of having an excellent finish.

October 18, 2006 · Uncategorized

show me what you got

Check out Jay-Z‘s new video for “Show Me What You Got”, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick make cameos… The first minute is the best part.


October 11, 2006 · NASCAR

nice is different than good

In the past I’ve talked a lot about the guys in NASCAR that I don’t like. I would hate to be thought of as always being negative. So to counteract that, I’m listing the drivers that I dig.

1.) Dale Earnhardt Jr. — Duh. I don’t think I need to explain this one. Just read my old blog entries.

2.) Michael Waltrip – He’s gotta be the most hilarious driver in the NEXTEL Cup Series. He’s always got something to say and you can count on him for great quotes. Although, since he left DEI he hasn’t been running up front as much, well, at all. I hope his new team with Toyota next year can stand out and be competitive.

Casey Mears Looks Like a Teddy Bear!3.) Casey Mears – Casey Mears looks like a teddy bear (see photo). This isn’t really why I like him but it helps. I think I like him because I don’t know that much about him. He hasn’t won a race in the Cup series yet and I want to see him win.

4.) Carl Edwards – Ah, Cousin Carl. I dig him, even though he retaliated against Dale Jr. after a race earlier this year. I love his story of handing out business cards at the track trying to network his way into NASCAR. I’m a sucker for creativity. He’s also one of the best actors in NASCAR right now. Ya know that Gillette Young Guns commercial where Ryan Newman shaves his number 12 into everyone’s facial hair? Well I think Carl should get an award for his convincing delivery of the word “Newman!” Bravo!

Hmm… That’s all I can come up with for right now. I’m sure I’ll be adding more to the list as time goes on. And this doesn’t mean that I don’t dislike any of the drivers that I haven’t mentioned. I’ll write up a list of all the drivers that irk me at a later date. hehe.

October 10, 2006 · Uncategorized

jet setting with Jay-Z

Happy Birthday to Dale Earnhardt Jr.! He turns 32 today.

Speaking of Dale Jr., he and IndyCar racer Danica Patrick are both in the new Jay-Z video “Show Me What You Got.” It’s the first single off of Jay-Z’s new CD that’s set for release in November. The video was shot on location in Monaco and will premiere on MTV on Monday, October 16th.

More details (and photos) from MTV News.

October 9, 2006 · NASCAR

from zero to hated in 2 seconds flat

Poor Brian Vickers, Nobody had any reason to dislike him at all before yesterday. I was pretty much indifferent. He hadn’t done anything yet one way or the other in his Cup career. He was completely under the radar.

Not so much anymore. All the juicy bits are coming out now. Ever since Vickers asked to leave Hendrick Motorsports at the end of this season he’s been kept out of the team meetings. Which makes sense; I mean you wouldn’t want him to take the team secrets to his ride with Toyota next year. But now that he’s messed up big time, will he ever be able to be friends with ANYONE at Hendrick? I’m sure they’ll forgive and forget, or at least say that they have.

NASCAR drivers are great at that kind of thing, being all PC and making nice-nice. I’m sure Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway they’ll be downplaying the entire situation in the pre-race interviews. But you know once they get on that race track Vickers had better stay out of trouble or he may find himself in the middle of an “accident.”

Not that I think anyone should do that to him. After all, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have a championship to think about and that’s way more important than Vickers’ incredibly lame lapse in judgment.

October 8, 2006 · NASCAR

are you serious?? c’mon!

Oh. My. God.

I cannot believe it. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was leading on the last lap of the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway today but got wrecked, along with Jimmie Johnson, because of Brian Vickers. Vickers ended up winning the race.

I am so mad. I can’t believe that nut job wrecked his own teammate! What was he thinking??? Oh I know what he was thinking; he was thinking he would get his first win by being an impatient little punk.

I’m sorry; Brian Vickers has officially added his name to my crap list. Junior led the most laps of the race, he dominated, and his car was obviously the best. He even came back from being a lap down!! This is so incredibly not fair. I’m sure my neighbors think I’m crazy because I was screaming at the TV, cursing up a storm.

The last lap people! There was less than a lap left! UGH!!! It just hurts in points the most. Had Junior finished first, and because Jeff Burton was way back in the field, he would of gained three spots in the Championship and only been 26 points behind with 7 races left to go.

I’m not sure where he’ll end up now, as I type NASCAR is still figuring out the official race results.

Vickers was booed by the Talladega fans, as is customary when you ruin a perfect day for the most popular driver of NASCAR. Of course he said he was sorry to Jimmie Johnson, his teammate until the end of the season, but he didn’t say sorry to Junior! He actually insinuated that it was Junior’s fault that he got hit. Are you kidding me??

Yea, I’m just kinda mad. :)

September 15, 2006 · NASCAR

the chase is on … stand up straight!

We’re finally down to the last ten races of the season that will determine who will win the Nextel Cup Championship for 2006. The top ten drivers — Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne — spent a few days in New York making the rounds on TV to remind America that NASCAR still exists, and oh yea, they’ve got a playoff season now. :)

The only thing that I was able to Tivo was Live with Regis & Kelly, where everybody but Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (I think) were there to throw cream pies at Regis, Kelly and Gelman for some sort of record. That’s not the point of this story. The thing that got me about that appearance was Matt Kenseth’s posture. He has the worst posture ever!! I want to shake him and attach a stick to his back to make him stand up straight.

In this photo he’s talking with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the Chase driver’s dinner in New York earlier this week. Notice the slouch? It’s not as pronounced in this shot as it was when he was on Letterman. He looked almost Mr. Magoo-ish.

So now the top ten drivers are separated by only 5 points each. This is where it gets fun and really stressful. Not just for the drivers but for me! At least the drivers have something to do, I can only eat so many potato chips before I get sick. I don’t know if I can handle hundreds of laps hoping and praying that nothing happens to my favorite drivers, er, driver. :)

September 4, 2006 · NASCAR California Weekend (09/06)

so close and yet so far

The layout of California Speedway is simplistic in theory but not really when it comes to actual application. Walking from the media center in the infield around to the midway section behind the grandstands is a trek indeed. When you add in the heat you’ve got a serious cardiovascular workout. I swear I lost 5 pounds on Friday just walking from my car to the pits.

After the seating debacle on Friday I was hesitant to ask if there was space upstairs in the press box during the race. ‘Cause here’s the thing, I didn’t fly to La La Land and then drive an hour and a half to watch the race on TV. So I asked and of course there was already a seating chart in place, which is totally ok, I get it, but the thing I didn’t appreciate was being treated like the complete nobody that I know that I am. I will say this, certain staffers were very nice but others were not. The thing about it was that the attitude from certain people was so unnecessary, so I have to mention it.

Once the race started I couldn’t stand the thought of sitting in the room downstairs all night, so I went up to the press box to see if I could stand in the back. Turns out the whole back row was empty. I sat there for the entire race with a great view of the start/finish line.

The race wasn’t that exciting in terms of crashes & cautions, but it was extremely fun to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. continually move up through the field every lap. Usually the top three finishers are available after the race for a press conference. This was my best and LAST hope of seeing Junior in person this weekend. On Friday before and after qualifying he bypassed the fans assembled outside the garage during qualifying. He also managed the same feat on Sunday before driver introductions. I did a couple laps around the garage and couldn’t catch a glimpse. So all my hopes were pinned on him getting into the top 3 and being in the press box after the race.

My Hopes = Dashed

They held the press conference with Clint Bowyer, who came in third, and Junior in a room I had yet to find but knew that it was in somewhere in the garage. Unfortunately for me the garage area was hot at that time and I couldn’t get in because I only had a cold pass.

The only driver that I saw in plainclothes after the race was Tony Stewart. He’d just hoped on a golf cart and was being whisked away to a helicopter or plane somewhere. Was it too much to ask for that to have been Junior? C’mon! :)

One of the bright spots of my trip was getting to meet tallglassofmilk, the woman behind the website/blog Answer This. I’ve mentioned her site’s plentiful details on the love lives of NASCAR drivers before, and on Sunday we got to dish in person about the latest scandals.

Overall I had a great birthday weekend at the races. There were pluses and minuses but I still love NASCAR and what it’s about. I can say that this experience renewed my spirit to do more with my blog. Stay tuned.

Oh! This has nothing to do with the race at California specifically, it’s just good stuff. Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.



September 2, 2006 · NASCAR California Weekend (09/06)

Junior’s on the pole! oh… wait…

Yes, for a brief moment in time Dale Earnhardt Jr. was atop the pole for the Sony HD 500 tomorrow. He was knocked off of it by Kurt Busch. If you’ve read my previous blog posts you know how much that pained me to see. At any rate, I’m still excited that Junior will start the race in the 6th position. That lends great hope to him securing a place in the Chase this year.

In other news…

Bill Lester, who’s originally from Oakland, Calif., ended up not making it into the field for the race tomorrow. He flat spotted his tires and spun out, but still tried to make it around the track for his second qualifying lap. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to get into the top 43. It’s a tough break, I was really rooting for him, but I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ll see of him in Nextel Cup racing.

I now have a photo gallery of my weekend at California, I’ll be updating it periodically tomorrow as well.

August 21, 2006 · NASCAR

bump and run

“I don’t go around wrecking people on purpose.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr., on the incident with Carl Edwards.
——-
Ok… Dale Jr. ran, with what seemed to be every other Nextel Cup driver in the series, the BUSCH Series Carfax 250 at the Michigan International Speedway this past Saturday. With less than two laps to go Jr. bumps into the back of Carl Edwards which causes Edwards to go spinning out of the lead and leaves Jr. to win the race. Edwards retaliated by slamming into Jr.’s car during the final caution flag laps and then walked into victory lane to exchange heated words.

All I can say is get over it Carl! Ha!

I have no idea why the fans booed Jr. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my favorite driver either. He’s one of the few drivers that I believe when they say that they didn’t mean to do it. The proof is that whenever Jr. has bumped or hit someone on accident in the past he’s immediately gotten on the radio and admitted fault. I don’t believe that he just turned into a complete jerk overnight and decided to wreck Edwards. Besides, Edwards got loose out of that turn and Jr. had no where to go. Well, no where to go if he wanted to still have a chance at the win.

Since Junior is one of, if not the most, popular driver in NASCAR today it was very disarming to hear fans booing him. Now, I was watching the race and I started to wonder what he would have to do for me to boo him.

It would take a lot, maybe if he started liking the Raiders or dating Paris Hilton. Oh, I can’t even go there, that would be a dark day indeed.

August 7, 2006 · IndyCar

kiss the bricks!

So my heart softened just a little bit for Jimmie Johnson this weekend. Normally he’s on my crap list, especially with that suspect crew chief of his Chad Knaus, but this week I could really sense genuine feelings and emotions from him, like winning this race really meant something to him.

And so it should, it was the Brickyard 400 after all, oops I mean the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. This is one of the few times I’ll ever take issue with sponsors but when the race is at Indy it should be called Indy or Brickyard. They’re never going to change the Daytona 500 to the McDonalds 500 at Daytona. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is steeped in history for Indy cars, but not so much for stock cars. But if you watched the pre-race show on NBC you’d think Jesus walked on those bricks. :) I kid, I kid…

The thing I hated about the race was that the finish wasn’t a nail biter. It didn’t come close to this year

July 26, 2006 · Uncategorized

leave it to Jr.

More from my ongoing e-interview with romance novelist Pamela Britton:

ME: NASCAR is definitely a fan friendly, no doubt about it. Which sort of leads me to my next question, in “In the Groove” you make mention of “helmet lickers,” a nickname for NASCAR groupies. Is this really the case? I don�t know if there�s really a question here but I�m dying to know what “helmet lickers” are like and how they gain access to the drivers, and how the drivers regard them. Do you have any first-hand stories to share about things that you�ve seen in the garage?

PAMELA: “Helmet lickers” — a phrase ( rumor has it) coined by the guys on Dale Jr.’s team. They were tired of the term “pit lizard” and so they came up with a new moniker.

Yes, there are “pit lizards” around. I’ve heard stories of gals that have followed the team haulers to parking lots and, um, made themselves friendly with the big rig driver (not the driver/driver). I’ve seen these women work the garage with my own eyes, traveling from hauler to hauler, hoping to catch someone’s eye — not just a driver, but crew members as well.

Yes, I have an interesting story about this. When we were at a race awhile back, there was a woman sitting on one of the director’s chairs near the back of the #16 hauler. That’s where I hang out and so when I saw her, I just assumed she was with someone — you know — one of the crew members or sponsors or something. But then she trucked on over to someone else’s hauler — another “single” driver. Then, about a half-hour later, she moved to another hauler. I was totally baffled. Normally, most people hang with one team. I wondered if she was a reporter. Or maybe with Goodyear or something. When she trotted back in our direction, I finally asked someone who the heck she was. Nobody knew. Everyone on the team had assumed she was with someone else, LOL. We were all floored because nobody had said anything to her the whole day, and there she was hanging out and being friendly like she was part of the gang. Un. Real. Needless to say, something was said to her then and I never saw her again that weekend.

I hear this is the MO for this type of woman, but I’ve also heard that if a “helmet licker” is spotted and/or ID’d, they’re banished from the garage. This type of behavior is truly frowned upon, especially by certain team owners.

June 28, 2006 · Uncategorized

so when can I bid on the driver?

This just in. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is selling his silver 2002 Mini Cooper on eBay.

As I type this the top bid is $33,700.00 with 12 hours left to go.

The following are the details of the sale from the eBay site:

Dale Jr. is looking to upgrade his car collection, so he is auctioning his 2002 Mini Cooper. This vehicle, which was purchased new by Dale Jr. in 2002, has been completely modified to provide the ultimate in performance and appearance. With only 3124 original miles, it is equipped with an upgraded computer, exhaust, transmission, clutch, and suspension. In addition, it has an installed super charger providing high-end torque to the 270 hp engine. The interior is custom carbon fiber and chrome plated. All modifications were completed by Mini Mania, the leading tuner in Mini Coopers. Dale Jr. has personally autographed the sun visor, and he is willing to autograph the dash if desired by the new owner. The winning bidder will be given the opportunity to receive the vehicle personally from Dale Jr. at his home in North Carolina. This vehicle is being offered through Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s company, JR Motorsports. In addition, the payment method will be processed through JR Motorsports. Once the auction is complete, we will contact you by phone with further instructions regarding acceptance of loan check or money order, and we will arrange a time and date for you to come and receive your vehicle personally from Dale Jr. You can bid with confidence, and we will be willing to answer any questions regarding the vehicle.

Notice how it says that the winner has the opportunity to receive the vehicle personally from Dale Jr. at his home? Uh yea, who wants to give me the money to bid on this? Anyone? Anyone?

June 25, 2006 · NASCAR Infineon Weekend (06/06)

it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Kasey Kahne??

NASCAR is an advertiser

June 24, 2006 · NASCAR Infineon Weekend (06/06)

kurt won the pole!

Kurt Busch is one of my least favorite drivers, second only to his brother Kyle. So I was just a little miffed that he won the pole yesterday at Infineon. I don’t like the brothers Busch because while they say all the right things in front of the media before the races they act like big babies on the track. If someone accidentally hits them they whine and sometimes, in Kyle’s case, they overreact and get fined by NASCAR.

I was standing near the winners circle watching as Kyle Busch was officially given the Bud Pole Award and there was a young woman next to me. She was on her cell phone telling someone that Kurt had won the pole. She was very, very excited about this fact. So much so that she called another person to let them know that Kurt won the pole, saying things like “I’m so happy!, Kurt won the pole!” I can’t fathom that kind of devotion, especially for Kurt Busch, but to each his own right?

After that it seemed that everyone loved Kurt too, but I was starting to see a pattern. A lot of guys were saying that Kurt was their driver, but it was because he’s taken over Rusty Wallace’s old ride, the #2 Miller Lite car, not necessarily because of Kurt himself. I’m not sure that I agree with this logic, I’m not sure that I could easily transfer my love for one driver to another just because they’re driving the same car. Take Dale Earnhardt Jr., one day he’s going to stop racing, but will I be able to root for some new guy taking over his car? For me it really depends on who that person is, if I don’t like your attitude on or off the track you’re not getting my admiration.

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