Monday, October 4, 2010

View From The Flagstand

Familiarity breeds contempt. Yes, I'm talking about you, Chase. In just the third race of this year's Chase, Jimmie Johnson has ascended to the top of the points standings. Seven races to go, and it is over. NFL, I'll be watching your commercials from here on out.

CHECKERED FLAG

Greg Biffle has become the Wizard of Kansas. In his last seven races here he has two wins, and has finished lower than third once! His Ford was fast when it mattered, at the end of the day. He gained 20 points on Johnson, and now sits eighth, less than 100 points out of first.

GREEN FLAGS

JJ and Kevin Harvick both looked mediocre most of the day then poured it on at the end to finish second and third respectively. The first seven finishers are all Chase contestants. Yawn. Paul Menard was out front for 11 laps, looked good, and wound up 8th. Is he the most improved Cup driver this year?

YELLOW FLAG

Tony Stewart led the most laps and finished 4th. Matt Kenseth led 26 laps before finishing 7th. They are still 10th and 11th in the 12 car Chase, and if not for Clint Bowyer's 150 point penalty, they would be fighting it out for last. Wins win the Chase.

RED FLAG

That NASCAR schedule maker is a real trickster. Kansas and Fontana back-to-freakin'-back!? Nice way to build up enthusiasm for the Chase. Just as JJ starts to stink it up, lets hit two of our most boring tracks. What, Pocono and Michigan were not available?

BLACK FLAG

I have mixed thoughts on the David Reutimann "payback" of Kyle Busch. First, I don't think what Kyle did was worthy of that payback. It looked to me as if he just accelerated off the corner faster than Rooty did. No malice intended. Howevah, it is strange that the top shelf drivers never get punted like that. Hmmmm.

Rooty's post race interview said it all, as he could not look the camera in the eye, and looked none to proud of what he had done. Too late for regrets now, Dave. If you really want to pay him back, after Kyle's next win, give him a slight tap in the back bumper. His car will fail post-race inspection, and he'll lose 150 points. Hey, it could happen.

Of course, NASCAR with their "have at it boys" is really to blame for this mess. Last week, when Harvick drove through Denny Hamlin in practice, and NASCAR smiled, waved, and prayed for ratings, was proof that they have let the inmates overrun the asylum.


20 comments:

  1. So you've taken the trophy to the engraver eh Gene?

    I am mixed on Rooty v Rowdy too. I seem to recall Rooty getting punted numerous times this season and he could have just reached his limit regardless of who it was. That being said, it did seem as if this time it truly was a racing deal and not intentional. The thing that impressed me the most was Kyle's post race interview- my oh my new Kyle has arrived! Poor Rooty's interview was just painful - he reminds me a bit of Logano - getting pushed around out there for being a nice guy but has no real way to stand up without it being so painful for himself!

    Fontana then Lowes...blech. boring!

    ReplyDelete
  2. When do you put the hammer down and when do you stay off it? Kyle's onboard camera caught what happened. Rooty let off coming out of the turn while Kyle was getting on it. Seems to me that was pure and simple a racing incident. The next thing we know Ruetimann's yelling on the radio that he'd been run over by the 18... Go figure. He kept to his story after the race. I wonder if Kyle saw the interview while trying to cool off in the hauler? He's certainly learned to bite his tongue and say all the right things when interviewed later...

    Don't any of you take JJ at Fontana in the Chase race next weekend... He's all mine!

    Thanks Gene!

    ReplyDelete
  3. the best thing about this time of year is that due to the NFL preshow at 9am, I miss the NASCAR one since coverage starts at 10am just before the race begins, woohoo!

    I, at least, shall honour that request, Dwindy. Unless there's someone I *really* want to take, I try to pick drivers that others haven't yet...like how Will set it up when we were on the other site, lol

    ReplyDelete
  4. KLV.... it's already back from the engravers... lol

    Reutimann said yesterday that he's been run over the last three races, and had already decided that the next time it happened he would inflict some on-track justice.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dwindy.... The same thing that Kyle did to Rooty happenes EVERY race. Someone going to slow gets ran over, mostly on restarts.

    The New Kyle? Hah. He's just focused on the prize right now. When/if he falls out of contention for the Cup the old Kyle will be back.

    The Dwindy jinx? Okay, you can have JJ.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tez....All of the NFL pre-game shows have their hits and misses. I like CBS and ESPN the best, but Fox is watchable, too. All three are miles more professional than the pre-race shows.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's refreshing to see Kyle, the philospher, as opposed to Kyle the reactionary.

    I like what Kristen said about the Reutimann/Hamlin complex. Of course this kind of behavior will happen when a driver has interrelated, emotion-charged ideas, feelings, memories, and impulses that are usually repressed and that gives rise to abnormal or pathological behavior. LOL... I love the dictionary!

    Dwindy, if I get the pole, I'm picking who I want in the Trifecta! Eat's dog eat dog!!! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  8. CR.... first Dwuindy, now you! Everybody is a therapist all of the sudden. lol

    Guess who the drivers were that picked on Rooty in the two races prior to Kansas?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Haven't a clue Gene. I generaly don't pay attention to Rooty. Maybe that's part of his problem? Carl Edwards was probably one of them. He seems to never lift for anyone.

    ReplyDelete
  10. OK, I owe Edwards an apology. I just read the NASCAR.com "Mikey say's" article. Kurt Busch, and Ryan Newman caused Rooty to go berzerk on Kyle. I thought Ryan just held-up faster cars! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  11. CR... Harvick muscled Rooty around at Loudon, causing the Beak to wave a finger out the window at Hap. Newman dumped Rooty at Dover. If the Mikey that says it is a Waltrip, I wouldn't count on a lot of truthiness.

    Mikey released a statement today supporting the Beak. Kissing up to Toyota is more like it. They're probably none too happy with Reutimann.

    ReplyDelete
  12. CR... Go ahead and take JJ if you dare! LOL

    And what's this about horning in on my therapy practice?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dwindy, was that a triple-dog-dare? I'm sure there are many of us who would love the opportunity to jinx Mr. Johnson. LOL, I've never heard anyone refer to Jimmie as Mister! Guess I'll be the first to give him his dues.

    ReplyDelete
  14. NFL has their armchair quarterbacks but NASCAR has their armchair shrinks. Seems fitting somehow!

    Good thing there are plenty of patients to go around....

    Calling dibs on JJ eh, Dwindy? That right there will guarantee he wont win!

    ReplyDelete
  15. So, it's come to this, eh, Lugnuts? Fighting over JJ! Why doesn't everyone just select him... like they do Kyle in the Truck races? LOL

    Dwindy skipped the playground etiquette and went directly to the triple dog dare!

    And, we now have a no-waiting policy at Shrinks-R-Us.

    ReplyDelete
  16. This is all quite funny!

    Gene, when I pick Kyle, it's because I think he'll win. Actualy, I look at all my picks that way. Guess my mojo is all gojo! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Picking Kyle in Trucks and JJ in Cup is the only sure way to win the Trifecta now that the easy F1 picks are gone!!

    We all say we hate him but boy do we love him when JJ gets us a piece of that coveted Lugnut Trophy!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I posted this over at Dwindy's, and I might as well here.

    The season premere of South Park, Wednesday night looks like a "dandy" (as Waltrip would say). South Park takes on NASCAR. Bleecher report has a short preview;

    http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b6dMN

    ReplyDelete
  19. South Park vs NASCAR.... that should be a good one.

    When they spoofed the WWE last year they didn't really pick on the WWE... just their 'stupid' fans. Probably more of that coming on Wednesday.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh BTW, CR... Pick to win! That's why we all pick Kyle in the Trucks, and most of us in the NNS.

    ReplyDelete