Thursday, July 8, 2010

Right Sides Only

After the exciting show last week in Daytona, we get to catch our breath a bit while the guys make laps at Chicagoland Speedway. Last week's race also marked the halfway point of the Sprint Cup season. Eighteen races down, and eighteen more to go.

It's Dynamite

Chicago is TNT's last telecast this year. Their six race season comes to an end before we can get fed up with them, ala Fox. TNT scored its highest ratings in two years with the Coke Zero 400 last week. That race featured TNT's 'Wide Open' coverage, in which national commercials are shown alongside the live racing action. It would be wonderful if 'wide open' was widely available.

The Four Horsemen of HMS

Jimmie Johnson became a father on Wednesday July 7, as wife, Chandra delivered a baby girl between races. Names are being solicited.

Jeff Gordon makes his 600th start Saturday night in Chicago. It won't be the same without having DW there to oversell the emotion.

Mark Martin going to Team Red Bull next year? So says Randy Pemberton. No word on which car, or if it will be a third car to team with Scott Speed and the returning Brian Vickers. This move would allow Kasey Kahne to jump in a HMS Chevy next season. Chance of this happening, 20%.

Dale Earnhardt Jr sold two million dollars worth of Wrangler tee shirts while winning the NNS race last week at Daytona. Little E also clawed back into the Chase race with a 4th place run on the Cup side at DIS.

Who's Greening Who

Like other large corporations, NASCAR is all about 'going green'.... unless it overly affects the bottom line. A couple of years ago, with much harumphing (hey, I didn't get a harumph outta that guy), NASCAR announced that they would be using ethanol as their race fuel in 2011. It takes over a gallon of gasoline to make a gallon of ethanol. Not very energy efficient. So, even though it does use biofuels, it still wastes more fossil fuel than just burning gasoline. According to Brian France, NASCAR "is looking at other options." Don't look for them to quit the high octane juice until the feds make them.

Chi Town Chatter

A couple of weeks after getting canned at RFR, Todd Parrott is reunited as Elliott Sadler's crew chief .

Ford still has yet to win a Cup race this year. The silence from Jack Roush is very strange.

Morgan Shepherd gets a great opportunity this week when he gets into RCR's NNS #21 at Chicagoland. The Chevy is unsponsored for this race, but it has been among the fastest NNS whips lately.

Kevin Harvick is the only driver with more than one win here. He won the first two races at Chicagoland.

Kyle Busch is the only race winner to start on the pole, and the field was set that year (2008) by points. He's also the only winner to start in the top-5 here.

Some chick returns in the NNS this week. Maybe she'll hold a press conference at the same time as Lebron's.

Will the Cup make a pit road appearance? Jim Cornelison of the NHL champion Chicago Blackhawks will sing the national anthem (USA's?) before Saturday's race. Teammate, Duncan Keith will be the Grand Marshall. Really, we're in Chicago, isn't there truly only one Grand Marshall here? Wilbur Marshall of the champion 1984 Bears! And, he played an American sport!
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29 comments:

  1. No certainty Vickers can come back next year - why not stick Kasey in that ride! LOL Mark's PR chick was beside herself on twitter today trying to dispel the rumor. Perhaps she protest too much?

    Make that two million and one since I haven't bought my winning #3 diecast yet.


    Oh *&*#!, was I supposed to be in Chi-town this week for NNS!? LOL

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  2. Good read; however, Kevin is not the only driver to have 2 wins at Chicago. Tony won in 2004 and 2007.

    Hey, I went to college with the punter for the champion 1984 Bears.

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  3. One suggestion for the Johnsons: Anna or Rachel should be the daughter's name. Hope Morgan does well in the #21.

    Gene, they're both equally annoying and haven't won SQUAT.

    Kevin Harvick becomes the first three-time winner at Chitown.

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  4. Kristen... I wonder why someone would start the Martin to RBR rumor out of the blue? Might be something to it.

    You better hurry to that NNS #7 ride. LBJ's already had his big announcement, so go right ahead...LOL

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  5. Speedy.... How could I miss that? There has only been a handful of races there.

    Wasn't the punter's name Maury?

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  6. Jon.... Lebron will win a title before she wins a race!

    I can't bet against Harvick now.

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  7. Perhaps pure grain corn squeezings might be a better way to go. Considering the big oil companies bought up the revolutionary new concepts in the last few decades so they could have the monoply on fuel consumption still, I wonder what they are going to do when the oil dries up in the next century or two.

    I still have my Ion Particle Generator available.

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  8. Gene...

    I was wondering if the TS crew was going to nail ya on forgeting him. Sho nuf!

    Okay Gene, admit it. You're a big Rusty Wallace fan on ESPN's race coverage team. You've started hyperventilating with just the thought of hearing his "knowledgeable" and unbiased commentary. (I don't know about you closet Wallace fans! LOL)

    Who in hell is Lebron anyway?

    Thanks Gene!

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  9. wow, go away for a weekend and I come back to find that a Canadian is the GM (what the heck is Kane doing on Saturday, or did they want someone who won the gold medal doing it instead?), Gene is backing Kevin over Kyle and Kristen's racesuit obviously got lost in the mail (told you not to bag Denny or David, lol) and will have to hand the keys to the #7 (after nicking the keyring ala DJ in the UPS ad of course) to someone else in the NW race....never a dull moment around here, is there :P

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  10. Dwindy....Yeah! I looooove Rusty! He has his lines memorized and repeats them each week... no matter what the action on the track may dictate... he's trying to be DW.

    I do like the commercial with his son. The one with Rusty in the old station wagon. I don't know why, but it makes me laugh every time. The brilliant writing? The great acting? The flawless comic timing? I can't say, but its funny.

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  11. Tez.... Kasey Kahne is the PM?

    Kevin over Kyle? Nevah, nevah, nevah! I'm just saying that, this year, I can't count Harvick out of any race. I do have Kyle in the Tri this week.

    If KLV won't drive the #7 maybe Morgan can take over after this week?

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  12. I think the Chicago poll is fubar. Voting screwed up in Chicago? No way! I voted for the Blues Bros yesterday. It's is not showing up now, but it is asking me if I want to change my vote. Tried that, no luck. This may be the last poll... until November.

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  13. Well I for one voted for pizza...

    Oh and decided to let another chick take my NW ride since it would be unethical for me to mix business and pleasure and Junior doesn't need any distractions!

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  14. PM...what does a Project Manager or Prime Minister have to do with the Grand Marshall?

    I personally think that, until klv gets her seat back, we should boycott all NW races in protest, lol

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  15. Voting is always screwed up if it involves Chicago.

    Photo, I think I know where to get some dielithium crystals in a star system not too far from ours...

    Enjoy the snoozfest race Saturday. I'll be rafting on the Rogue River. Canoes tip over too easily!

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  16. Yep, Maury Buford from Mt. Pleasant, Texas. He played the cowbell in the Super Bowl Shuffle video.

    I, too, voted for the Blues Brothers, although I may start a write in campaign for Mrs. O'Leary's cow :o).

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  17. SB... or maybe St Valentines Day Massacre?... or Al Capone?... or Barak Obama?

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  18. Go Morgan!

    Over/Under on the number of laps run by Danica - 75

    Seriously? Mark Martin @ Red Bull? Wow this retirement tour keeps taking some wacky detours...

    Seems like Todd Parrott has been crew chief for every active Cup driver.

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  19. Uhhh...BTW you guys...it was the 1985 Bears...as much as I hated them...and I actually met Wilbur Marshall (U of Florida) at a nightclub in Fairfax City when he played for the Redskins. He was like a 6 degree blackbelt and extremely mean looking in person.

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  20. After Red Bull, Mark can drive for the California Prune Growers Association, or maybe the U.S. Medicare car?

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  21. Mose.... yeah, all the Parrotts seem to wear out their welcomes very soon.

    '85 huh? I must have blocked out the '84 results... Dolphins destroyed by San Fran in the SB...UGH!

    Marshall was a beast at UF and the NFL.

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  22. CR.... rafting sounds refreshing. 100 here in N Fla right now!

    My Chicago ballot box is screwed up again. Now showing one Blues Bros vote.

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  23. You're the man Gene... I can only take on 28 Justin Biebers! LOL

    It's 101 here in SoOR... but it's a dry heat! ;}

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  24. Gene's got that poll rigged so it won't give him the finger! LOL

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  25. Gene - honestly, I thought Marshall was more dominant than LT in college.

    Wasn't as big but was quicker and faster. But the Bears & Redskins never designed their defenses around him like LT. So he never got the cred.

    Nice call on Kyle btw.

    How are the Jags shaping up for this year?

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  26. Of course The Blue Brothers vote is me. Shocking right?

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  27. Moseby... Jags will be a .500 team if they're lucky. Still a one-man offense. Can't win like that. Del Rio is still stuck in the Stone Age. Thinks he can win with defense, and three yards and a cloud of dust for offense. You have to have at least two playmakers on offense to go anywhere. Jags have one offensive player who could even start for another team. Sigh.

    The Dolphins are gonna roll this year, though. Henne gets better every game, and if B Marshall is motivated, they are gonna be a force.

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