Easter NASCAR Break

As the wife of a former hauler driver, let me testify on just how long the season can be on the spouses and children of team members.  LONG.  Very, very long.  Even though the season is just a few races young, this break comes on a holiday weekend and around spring break.

The crew members, especially the road crews, are getting some very precious time at home.  Just think about what you have planned for the holiday weekend and next week.  Easter with family, spring break vacation plans, mowing yard, you know the same stuff us folks with normal work schedules do.

I pretty much adjusted to being a single “married” parent, but for the kids, it is always harder.  At the time that Scott was racing, my kids were younger and not involved in a lot of school activities.  We pretty much did what we wanted on the weekends.  We would visit Mimi and Poppy, go see friends and cousins and occasionally go to the race track.

This all changes when the kiddos hit the ages where they are involved in sports and other extracurricular activities. Fortunately, the ARCA series isn’t too demanding throughout the school year and is spread out enough that when Scott was gone, it was mostly during the summer.

But what about the Cup families?  That is a brutal schedule for a single person to manage a life around.  For parents, even harder. Can you imagine your kid playing sports, being in the church play or having some kind of weekend recital?  And where is Mom or Dad?  They are at the racetrack, of course.

So this weekend is for those folks.  The newly married get some time together during the week and a whole weekend.  Dads and Moms can attend baseball and softball games.  Go to swim meets and soccer games.  Maybe go to the beach or the lake for spring break.  Or even take the whole family fishing.

The non-racing parent gets to be good cop for a change.  The racing parent gets almost two whole weeks of just being there, taking the kids to school, maybe picking them up and running the family shuttle service.

I hope each and every team member enjoys this down time and makes the most of it.  Less than a week away, the haulers will be pulling in at Martinsville.  And I have a small little feeling that there is gonna be some highly competitive racing and perhaps some beating and banging to kick off this next long stretch of racing for the summer.

No fines, No Foul?

Needless to say I was very surprised that the NASCAR powers that be let it all slide from this past Sunday.  I figured Tony S and Tony G and a few crew members would at least get fined.  I’m guessing the very strong fan reaction to an actual race in Cali deterred the NASCAR fine police.  For their wallets, let's hope so.

Lets also hope the racing stays this strong for the remainder of the season.  I, for one, am glad to see these drivers earning their very large pay checks.

I'm also glad that Denny isn't critically injured and has a very good plan to recover from his back injury.  Once again, even as diligent as NASCAR and the tracks have been, there is always more room for continued safety improvement.

Who Woulda Thunk it?

The most competitive race of the season at Fontana?  The track designed to induce a coma?  Never.  Wouldn’t have believed if I hadn’t seen it myself.

The typical race on the left coast is normally a fuel mileage sprint to the end, with a very lonnng nap at the beginning.  Not so yesterday.  There were enough blown tires and motors to pretty much keep even the most jaded of NASCAR fans tuned in.  With less than a 100 laps to go the race got busy and interesting, really quick.

It’s safe to say that bunching up the cars with 40 to go, would cause a little fender rubbing.  However, I was certainly surprised to see so many drivers in the hunt and so obviously hungry for a win.  Not sure if this is them trying to prove something with the new car or just a side effect of a bad economy and trying to keep sponsors happy.

Nevertheless, if you boys would drive like that every weekend your fans will come back.  Dang, I’m almost tempted to go buy a ticket.

Tony, Tony, Tony

I say this at least once per season, “Tony, what were you thinking?”.  Now sing it like Dierks.  Dude is it blocking on the last lap at Homestead?  Should little Joey ask “WWTD?”  Come on.  The kid had a lightning fast car, was up front all day and digging for a win.  And he beat you.  Get over it.

Your words were uncalled for and made you look more like a jerk.  Now you get to work ALL season to prove that Tony isn’t a mean bully.

Denny, Denny, Denny

“You, too?”  As the kids on the playground say…you started it.  Yep, you hit him first.  And please let the record show, sometimes Michael Waltrip just needs to Shut up.  Or at least review the last three laps before bowing down to the Toyota gods.  Darrell and his sidekick race commentators, said with 2 ½ laps to go that Denny would put the bumper to Joey if he caught him.  Well Denny caught him and got Joey squirrely.

Did he expect Joey to just move over?  Or give him any more room?  I don’t know what kind of issue Denny has other than my previous post alluded to sleep deprivations, but he needs to get some help or a nap.

Way to NOT back down Joey.  Don’t take no crap off the old guys.  You got a great ride this year.  Keep it up front and make them race.  Because that’s what you all get paid to do.

I’m soooo looking forward to Martinsville.

 

 

Bristol Update

Leave Danica Alone, D***it!!

It’s Bristol people!!  And by far the best race I’ve seen at my next to the favorite track (ahhh Salem, IN is still my most favorite).  In fact, best short track race next to the truck series old NASCAR has seen in years.  Take that COT!!

What is all this belly aching about Danica at Bristol?  Come on folks, it is the hardest track on the series.  She has vast amount of experience going very fast on big tracks, but lacks a lot of bull ring seat time.  Personally, I would have had her run every race there this weekend.  Yep, even the K&N race.  Seat time at Bristol is priceless.  Give her more time.  I promise, her crew chief Tony Gibson knows short track racing. He did it for years.

Points Leader…

Is it too early for me to be calling for a repeat from my boy Bradley?  Maybe so.  Even without a trophy (so far) this season, he has been hanging in the top 3, top 5 every race.  Now he’s on top of the leader board.  He was tougher than old cowhide when he got on top last year.  Them Hendricks boys better get to paddling a little harder.  This season could be one of them straight up dog fights.  Let’s hope for the sake of NASCAR, the competition level is coming back, across all makes.

Denny, Denny, Denny…get some sleep

Parenting is tough business and it has been noticeable that as some of the cup drivers became parents the last few years, an adjustment period commenced.  Maybe that explains what has gotten into Denny.

I agreed with him 100% on the fine with NASCAR issue.  But when he punted Joey at Bristol, I started thinking maybe he needs a nap.  Come on dude.  You pissed and moaned with Brad and look who has the BIG trophy and who don’t.  Maybe you should concentrate on the business at hand.  Win a race.  Win a championship.  (Woops...my hubby reminded me...Denny got a trophy...)
 

This New Car…

It looked much better at Bristol.  My concern isn’t how it races on a short track.  I’d tell most of the drivers to take care of the tires, shut up and RACE.  But I don’t expect a whole lot of competitive racing at Cali.  Let’s face it, that is one of the most boring races on the entire circuit.  Don’t know if I could drink enough red bull to keep me awake in the car for that one.

• Hopefully the engineering powers that be at NASCAR will take notice and make some tweaks.  We fans want to see the drivers drive, side by side.  That’s why it is called racing to begin with.

Kick off to 2013 Racing season

Poor Denny

I wouldn’t pay that fine either.  What did he really say other than the truth?  Bless his heart.  The NASCAR speech police need their badges revoked. 

Gen 6…is it a racier race car?

Didn’t look like it at Daytona.  Even though I wasn’t a fan of the love bug racing….south Georgia folks know what I mean…I’ve never enjoyed pack racing, nose to tail, just waiting to wreck. 

I still want to see some throttle response.  Not being an engineer, I have no idea how to go about making the cars more raceable.  You know, the motor to pull out and make a pass.  I still think it is the relationship between the motor package and aero.  I also think it is still not the right package. 

For the record I could care less about Daytona.  It IS an amazing place and so is Talladega. But I go to Talladega to people watch.  And you should too…at least once.

Phoenix seemed to be more of a tire war trying to be a fuel mileage race.  Even though the car seemed capable of passing at Phoenix, it stilled looked “off” from the perch of my sofa.  So, can’t say that I much blame Denny for his comments.  Maybe the change to this car was a little rushed by the powers that be.

I am pretty certain, from past experience that it will get a LOT of tweaking over the next few months.  Even though I’d never want to see the sport go backwards from a safety perspective, I’d certainly like to see the cars racier.

Basically do something to the motor.  Do something to the spoiler.  Do something to make ‘em race.

 

ARCA in Mobile

If you are in Mobile or close enough for a road trip, the ARCA cars are in town.  Per www.arcaracing.com, half the field is rookies.  So should be a great short track race.  Frank Kimmel will be trying to “school” the little kids.  These are the days when I wish I had me a little race car.

Best of luck to the Cunningham teams of Bowen and Hessert.