THIS WEEK'S TAKE... Listed from most recent to start of website (Aug. 2005).

July 25, 2010: Talk about enabling! Not only is Brad Keselowsi's father threatening to get on the track to avenge his son's honor, but he is allowing Brad no accountability for his actions. It seems to me that when most of the garage (both Cup and Nationwide) are plotting their revenge against you, maybe it's you! I was disappointed in the commentators, also, at the race at Gateway, and in the media in general in the aftermath. The line was blurred between what Brad did to Carl in the last lap, and what Carl did to Brad. To hear them tell it, when Brad got Carl squirrely, that was "boys just going after it". When Carl retailiated, and went for the win, that was above and beyond what NASCAR allows. That's not what I saw. Granted, my perspective is a little skewed. (Ya' think?) Hell, Carl probably deserves being called "reckless" and "intimidating". His scuffles throughout his career justify those adjectives. But for Brad, and his family, to act all innocent and sensitive, is either incredibly naive, or incredibly arrogant. I believe it is the latter. Brad's like a bully who just got a taste of his own medicine. By a bigger, badder bully. In racing, just like life, karma is a bitch! I haven't watched the Nationwide race yet, I'm anxious to see if there was any fallout from the fines and probation that NASCAR imposed. I'm also excited about the Brickyard 400 sponsored by Golden Corral today. Dane, Kathy and I toured the track and museum on our way back from Eldora. It would be a great place to watch a race, especially from the Pagoda. The races themselves tend to get a little stretched out, and it's very hard to pass on that track with no banking. But it's a very prestigious race, and it's not for the faint of heart, or muscle. It takes alot of strength to turn those heavy stock cars with no help from banking. An interesting note we learned from the tour at Indianapolis: the track was originally built to test cars, not for racing them. Back then, say 1904, 1905; there were no roads. No intrastructure to speak of, so they built a track to test all their new prototypes. The track was built of stones and tar at first, then bricks were laid in 1909. Stock cars came there in 1994, and Jeff Gordon won the inagural event. Jimmie Johnson has won the last three, so obviously Chevy and Rick Hendrick got it going on at Indy! Hopefully that trend continues today.

June 20: 2010 - Father's Day: If they want to keep Jimmie from winning a record 5th consecutive championship, add another road race. That used to be the thinking, as the driver struggled mightily at those venues. Not so much. He is slowly but surely becoming a factor, at least in qualifying. And that is so important at these tracks. Now whether he has the legs to go the distance, is a legitimate concern for Chad and the bunch. It's one thing to make a one qualifying lap around that course, it's quite another to concentrate on hitting every mark, every corner, every lap. So I wouldn't crown him the Road Course Champ yet. There are too many well-rounded drivers in Sonoma that are licking their chops this morning, ready to pounce on anyone that shows any type of hesitation in those corners. When Jeff Gordon slipped a little in the last turn a couple of years ago, Tony was laying in wait for just that mistake, took advantage, and won the race. This is no place for the timid. And Jimmie is certainly not that.
Speaking of Jimmie, I notice that he calls his former BFF "Gordon" now in interviews. There is still trouble in Paradise, obviously. Lots of testosterone in that Hendrick camp (although some of my friends might argue that, you know who you are, and you know what I mean!) There might not be room for more than one stud in the stable. Mark Martin is an aging sire, seemingly content to take it easy, watching at a distance, taking advantage when the opportunity presents itself, without making too much of a wasted effort. Junior is on the outside looking in, fighting the good fight, but never can put all the pieces together, and is usually a non-factor. So Jeff and Jimmie are left to fight it out for the title: one older stallion, holding on to his glory years with every thing he's got left. And the young upstart, who doesn't realize that his sheer presence is a disrespect to his elder mentor. After all, Jeff picked Jimmie, taught him all he could, gave him the reins to run, and this is the thanks he gets in return? Getting pushed, blocked, shoved around on the track like he's some insignificant gelding! Does anybody but my older sister understand my analogy? Everything in my life has always pertained to horses, and this is no different. Pretty soon there will be a change in leadership, rightfully so, that is a reality in every species, every society. And it's never easy, but always triumphant. At least until the next young whipper-snapper comes along.

June 13, 2010: It's gonna be a hot one. The summer, I mean. Already tempers are short, and it's only the middle of June! There's a storm brewing over Michigan this morning, and all the elements are there for a bumpy afternoon. Forty-three drivers, each having their own agenda concerning the outcome of the Helluva Good! 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It sounds like one catalyst is missing, and that's Joey Logano's father. Apparently he won't be there to stir the pot, but Joey seems to be coming into his own as far as giving as good as he's gettin'. That remark about Delana wearing the firesuit in the family was sweet! Kevin's all up in arms now about Joey making it "personal". Seems to me that Kevin became very personal with Joey last week at Pocono, and not in a good way! I used to like Kevin, I still do as a racer. But I lost a lot of respect for him since I've heard him talk to his crew, especially his crews that work for him at KHI. One race, when they messed up on pit road, he fired them all, told them to come in Monday and pick up their checks. Which can be chalked up to being a racing deal, in the heat of the moment stuff, but he's gone as far as calling them incompetent and dumbasses over the radio, for all to hear. And that's stepping over the line, as far as I'm concerned. Kasey Kahne has just checked out of RPM, talk about being a lame duck. Dane remarked that Kasey should have just taken AJ out, when Almendinger forced him into the grass last week. That still would have taken a large part of the field out, but Kasey might have felt better. Kasey has to finish his season with Petty, so he might as well suck it up and start playing nice with his teammates. He seems to be a "Mark Martin" type driver: conscientious but matter-of-fact. He will drive everyone fair, but has the stones to mix it up when the need arises. That might be a reason Mark has picked Kasey to take over for him at Hendrick, they seem to have a kindred spirit. Quiet, unassuming, and both will race anything you put under them. I was worried about Jeff last weekend after the big crash. They never did show him with the window net down, but apparently he was fairly unscathed. Those crashes have to be getting into his head a little, over the last few years he's had some nasty ones. And again at Pocono. It would have to weigh on you, next time you come to that particular track you might tend to tip-toe around. He's still seems aggressive, but I don't know how it couldn't effect a driver. Heck, since I've hit that deer with the Pontiac last fall, I still don't like to drive at night. You just have to put it out of your head, otherwise none of us would ever go anywhere! The race car drivers, at any level, can't afford to be too cautious, or they will be left in the dust, literally.

June 6, 2010: I didn't really appreciate how much it takes out of a driver when their car gets wrecked. But after seeing the Demon all torn up, after so much TLC went into her, it really hit home. These guys know what they are dealing with, each time they take their car out on the track this could happen. But these are some hard hits! To see all your time and money being hooked to the back of a wrecker, has to be painful! Emotionally, it would be too much for me. What we drive is a reflection of ourselves. Part of our identity. And to have it battered and beaten within an inch of it's life has gotta hurt. Dane said it best, it's like watching our "new" boat sink into Grand Lake, with it our heart and soul AND money! But like a Phoenix, rising out of the ashes, the Demon will live to race another day. No wonder these crew chiefs have to bite their tongues when a Driver brings back a torn up race car. Can you imagine being an owner at the Cup level, having four cars out on the track, racing three, four wide, splitter to spoiler, for 500 miles? Hundreds of thousands of dollars out on the track, all in the hands of a driver that's only job is to win, at any cost. You might as well take your money and throw it away with both hands. So being a race car owner is not for the timid. The risk, financially, physically and mentally is very high. You wonder why there are so many who risk it every week, at every level. But now that I know there are racers like James, and owners like Nascarla, I realize that they just can't help themselves. God love 'em! Is there trouble in Paradise? Is the 48 team actually made up of humans? A chink in the armor? Maybe once Jimmie gets this baby thing out of the way, he'll be back to his old, dominating self. I just believe the law of averages have caught up with this team. He has more DNFs this year, so far, then he has in the previous two seasons. Bad luck, wrong setups, wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully his 4 consecutive championships will make up for all the torn up race cars!

April 18, 2010: Congratulations to our favorite driver, James Bivins, on his feature run at Lakeside Friday night. He said that was their goal this year, to make the feature, and he did, first race out of the gate. The Demon ended up with an engine issue, but it sounds like she'll be back on the track next weekend. These drivers are amazing, you know it's not for the money, because they don't get squat for running, let alone the win. It's in their blood, they HAVE to run. It doesn't look promising that the Big Boys are going to run in Texas. Remember last year, Texans couldn't buy a raindrop? My how things change in a year. Now instead of dust storms they are experiencing flood warnings. The Nationwide race was postponed until 8 pm central time on ESPN 2, but check your times and stations, because ESPN has been known to switch in the middle of the race! And that's if the Cup race is run. They might end up with the Nationwide and Cup running Monday. We had a chance to go to Texas, I'm glad we didn't, because we wouldn't have been able to stay. Kathy and I were wondering if our peeps from Okie, Rusty and Tina, made the race. That's where we met them, on the tour bus in Texas, and we have been BFFs since that day. What they have added to our racing experiences is invaluable. Funny, knowledgeable, just good people. Tina is truly one of the funniest persons I have ever met, and Rusty's stories are legendary. Big Kasey Kahne fans. Rusty mentioned that now that Kasey will be running for Hendrick in 2012, we can all shop together at the track! Kasey should be a good addition to the Hendrick stable. I wonder if Phoenix was the last straw for him in a RPM car. It's unfortunate, because no one wants to see Richard Petty out of the sport, except maybe his son Kyle. That whole story really never surfaced, but the fact that Kyle is still wearing his number 45 hat blacked out is a pretty good indication that he has some sore feelings. But I think it was that uncertainty throughout that shop that drove Kasey Kahne away. It's hard to run well when there are so many distractions. They changed makes, changed shops, changed owners, drivers, it's been one big cluster ever since Kasey signed with them. Kasey didn't even have much stability when Ray Everham owned the team. Ray started sniffing around Erin Crocker, and he started thinking with the wrong organ! All of a sudden Ray quit coming to the Cup races, and Kasey and the rest of the organization floundered around looking for some leadership. You would think that Richard Petty could have offered that, but I think he's a racer, not a money guy, so he consequently made some bad decisions. And once Adam died, and Kyle left, so went the future of the organization. Kasey leaving, and the default on the 90 million dollar loan, could be the straw that broke the camel's back. I hope not, but I think Kasey got out while the getting was good. And there is speculation that Budweiser may go with Kasey, and if that is the case, Richard Petty may as well hang his hat up as far as owning a race team is concerned. Too bad.

March 27, 2010: Back to the Spoiler. Ditch the wing. Add the deck fin. Double-file restarts. Multiple green-white-checkers. The changes at NASCAR have been fast and furious. It must be nice, as a company, to make the rules up as you go along. Their mission statement must be comprised of one word: Experimentation. Every race, you never know what you are going to get. The problem is that the teams are the ones that have to pay for the changes. Remember, back in the middle double aught (05 maybe?) when NASCAR decided to cut costs by impounding the cars after qualifying? The thinking was that all the changes being made between qualifying and the actual race were too expensive for the teams. That lasted a mere year. Then they decided to get a whole new car altogether, costing the teams millions, and creating a junkyard of high-dollar stock cars that nobody could use. All in the name of safety, mind you, so it was accepted with a slight grumbling. And then the racing wasn't any good. And the 48 team started to dominate. So it was back to the old drawing board at NASCAR. My favorite rules have been the double-file restart, and multiple green-white-checkers. I love to see a great finish. There have been many times when the finish was determined under caution, which was very anti-climatic. And who likes that? Give me three-four wide at the finish, competitors using every inch of that track, beating and banging, door to door, sliding in sideways! That's what we all came here to see, including the racers. And if NASCAR needs to change the rules in the middle of the race to get that kind of action, then I'm all for it. But call a spade a spade. You don't have to give lip service to all the other aspects of the race: technical, safety, statistical, fairness, financial. All that matters is that everything is in place to provide a stimulating, exciting race that will fill the stands, and fill our hearts. This week, there's been much talk about slowing Jimmie down. Dane said he read where they (the other teams) have to bring a more complete package to stop the 48. You can't do it when he starts up front every week, gets to pick the best pit stall, and hangs around until the finish. You have to treat the 48 like a stayer, in horse racing. Some are sprinters, and some are stayers. They need to throw the sprinters at him early and often, make him use up his stuff, so when he goes for his kick, there is nothing there. Race him hard ALL DAY, even if you have to tag team him. Pick the pit stalls you think Chad wants, even if you aren't comfortable there. Like Kurt Busch said, anybody but the 48. Out-qualify him, out-practice him, race him early and hard, and maybe he won't be hanging around at the end. Maybe.

March 21, 2010: ARE YOU READY TO R-U-U-U-M-M-M-B-B-B-L-L-L-E-E-E????? In this corner we have Kevin "Happy" Harvick, current Sprint Cup points leader, accompanied by his lovely wife Delana, who also doubles as his tag team partner. (I wouldn't mess with her!) What you see is what you get with Kevin, he enjoys all this drama, you can tell. You can almost physically see the devil sitting on one shoulder, while the poor angel is hanging on for dear life on the other one. And in the other corner, we have Carl "On The Edge" Edwards, struggling to keep his focus on his racing, all the time trying to clear his mind of all this rage! It's a controlled rage most of the time, but then some cocky racer will push him over the edge. If you ever been to Bristol, you know why the Mountains are called Smoky. There is a mist hanging over them that looks like wisps of Smoke. And this weekend, it's mixed with a tension that is almost palpable. What a great arena for these gladiators to settle their scores. Or at least the first round. Methinks this is going to be a long season... And it's good for the sport, these lingering feuds. If you hearken back to the picture of Carl choking Kevin in 2008, Kevin, frankly, looked scared. And who wouldn't be? Kevin may be a scrapper, but Carl is one lean, mean specimen. Kevin throwing out words like "pansy" and "fake" will only add fuel to this simmering cauldron that is Carl Edwards. Maybe I have it all wrong, and they are all posturing for the media. Maybe this is all scripted for maximum drama. Throw a young, cocky driver like Brad Kesloweski in the mix and you have the good, the bad, and the ugly. Obviously we know who the ugly is, the good and the bad are totally based on each person's perception of the two adversaries. All I know is when the concrete dust settles, nothing will have been settled. And it's on to the next round.

March 7, 2010: I can't believe Steve Latarte didn't give Jeff four tires last week! He's lucky I'm not his boss, because I would have fired his butt. I realize they wanted to stay up front, out in clean air, salvage their track position. But you can't beat the 48 team with two tires. Four tires was their only hope in keeping Jimmie at bay. Jeff's car was so strong all day, I really believe they could have held Jimmie off. Darrell Waltrip had a good point when he said the other drivers need to get better to come up to Jimmie and Chad's level. They don't make mistakes, and if they do they recover very fast from them. They are truly a cut above the rest of the competition. And frankly, it's not real good for the sport, to have such a dominant team. There IS parity at the Cup level, from second on down. Each team has a chance to win every week, the 48 team just has a better chance, every week. Dane was wondering if they are bringing the spoiler back to slow Jimmie down. It's true that the spoiler might make a difference at Jimmie's best tracks: the 1-1/2 milers. It will bring more downforce for better handling, more speed, easier passing. But it will also give the 48 those advantages, and you can bet your bottom dollar Chad will find a way to use them. Maybe the 48 team should be handicapped, like Golf, or bowling. It wouldn't help for him to start in the back every week, he can come through the pack with the best of him. Maybe they should only run at road courses! He hasn't really perfected that yet, but if they run every week, it won't take them long to do that. Jeff Hammond suggested breaking up the team. The only way I see that happening is if they lure Chad away with lots of money, and maybe the chance to own his own team. But I'm sure he saw what happened to Ray Everham, who couldn't multitask as well as most people thought he could. So really, all we can do is watch history in the making, and be glad that we are able to experience that. I'm jealous of all the Jimmie Johnson fans. Most of us are lucky when our favorite driver win a race, let alone 4 consecutive championships. I'm not sure any sport has had this dominant of a competitor for a long time. The fact this is happening on our watch makes us very, very fortunate. So we need to enjoy the ride. Love him or hate him, Jimmie Johnson is a racing phenom that can simply take your breath away.

Feb. 21, 2010: It Never Rains In Southern California! Except on Race Day. Poor California, they struggle with racing, don't they? Back in the 70s, when I lived there, it was a hot bed of racing, both drag and circle track racing. Every Friday night we would go to the motorcycle races, courtesy of my boss who had free tickets. It was the 1/4 circle dirt track where they were on the gas and on the brakes simultaneously the whole time. Every Friday night, a big crowd, and one of the big stars, Bruce Penhall, was the Jeff Gordon of circle motorcycle racing. Blonde, blue-eyed surfer dude who had more groupies than, well, Danica. I wonder where he is now? He was my first driver/rider crush, and he made many of my Friday nights! We spent lots of weekends watching Shirley Muldonney and Connie Kalitta burn up the asphalt at Ontario, California dragstrip, the atmosphere filled with excitement, and nitro. So racing at California has deep roots, that's for sure. But this California Speedway, or now Auto Club Speedway, seems to be like most Californians, laid back and not really getting very excited about anything. Sure, they have the celebrities and rock stars, not to mention the Governor, but where are the fans? NASCAR has tried everything to get the crowds: changed the dates many times, the starting times, and it's a huge, wide track that the drivers like to race on. Like I've said before, maybe it's because there is so much to do out there. I hope today's race was exciting like the last few laps of yesterday's Nationwide race. And hopefully there will be a nice crowd there watching. Who wouldn't like to be at a race track in Southern California on a Sunday afternoon? Even in the rain. I got on Yahoo's home page, and guess what was one of the 3 most popular searches? NASCAR! When you click on that, it's all about Danica. Dane and I were two of the first to buy into the hype: we have a new rescued puppy, named, what else, Danica! Apparently she will run Las Vegas in the Nationwide, (the human, not the dog) and then the IRL season starts. I will be curious is she's able to make a smooth transition back to the lighter, faster cars without too much of a problem. Yesterday at the Nationwide race she struggled without the benefit of the draft, but I think she did pretty well considering... well, just considering. She does deserve as much attention as she gets, because what she is doing is pretty phenomenal for anyone, let alone a slip of a woman who has to break many barriers. She is very articulate, focused and unassuming, and doesn't seem to be afraid to mix it up. I'm wondering if there will be so much excitement from the "fair-weather" fans and media once she starts her "other" season.

Feb. 11, 2010: Daytona - 2010 - Finally, back on track! and ready to race! As we welcome a new racing season, it once again is ushered in by an off season full of changes. New car numbers, new owners, new drivers, new sponsors and new paint schemes make the first few races challenging to sort out. And of course, new rules. "Bump draft and race to your heart's content," says NASCAR - "learn to police yourselves"; new spoiler design will eventually replace the new, but not so effective - back wing; new "shark fins" on the trunk lid to help with "slideways" stability; proposed changes to the "green, yellow, checkered, white, checkered...??"; rules about the rules! Ticket prices slashed at most tracks, including changes at Kansas Speedway, you no longer have to buy all 4 races, but why would you not??? Not only is it cheaper, it's racing!! within close proximity!! Danica finally makes her move to NASCAR Nationwide series, but closer to home, and our hearts - Jennifer Jo Cobb attempting to run a full season in the Camping World Truck series! The "young guns" maturing - on and off the track - and welcoming new little bundles of change in their personal lives! Future "young guns" perhaps? But no matter how many things change, many things remain the same. Our favorite drivers still need our support and encouragement, and we still need them. We still need to hear about their goals, their dreams and their ambitions for the season, and then to follow the long pursuit of those. We need to gather at the tracks, at the sports bars and home parties with our racing peeps. We need to see, feel, hear, cuss and praise the breathtaking moments of the sport we love. With the drop of the green flag at the Daytona 500 through the checkered flag at Homestead, we need the fun, the excitement and the memories we'll make along the way. We still have the need - the need for speed!
From Judy Kay: Never in my history of NASCAR spectating has a season been more hyped than this one. And it revolves around one word: Danica. It's a trend that is reserved for but a few: Rihanna, Brittany, Beyonce. A mention of them needs no surname. Even the old school divas who started it all are easily identified: Madonna, Cher, and really old school: Charo. And the most famous of all: Oprah. Although Danica had already achieved one-moniker status as a Indy driver, her move to NASCAR was not a lateral one. Although she debuted in the ARCA series before the Nationwide series, the heavier cars and suspect handling of those cars is like night and day from the open wheel rides. And she did okay. Just okay. And I think she is happy with her debut week. I find her down to earth, a slight ego, but nothing off the charts. She seems to be a real instinctual driver, which will serve her well. And she does possess a very important asset (according to 3sistersracing.com rules): she is hot! No debate there! And all this wraps up into a very nice little marketing package. Which NASCAR desperate needs at this point. Heck, every major sport needs that right now. But honestly, this Danica thing has camoflagued what's really going to rock NASCAR's world: The rule changes. Basically, anything goes. And to quote Tony Stewart from a few years ago: "they're going to kill somebody." The Nationwide and Truck races, along with all the practices and Duels, were complete wreckfests. Talk about tight-butt driving, and I wasn't even in the cockpit! They wrecked in the front; they wrecked in the back; they wrecked in the middle; 4 wide; 3 wide; 2 wide; single file; the first lap; halfway lap; the last lap. They side drafted; bump drafted; drafted in the corners; drafted in the straightaway. If I had been sitting in the stands, I wouldn't have been sitting! It was all so very exciting, thrilling, and death-defying. I'm curious why NASCAR implemented these non-rules after last year's restrictor plate races resulted in so much carnage. Now I'm not a faint-at-heart race fan, I like a good crash every now and then just like the rest of ya. But last year Carl was lucky to escape with his life after Talladega, as was Ryan and Kyle. Yesterday Junior took a spectacular ride that he was able to joke about afterwards. The cars are safe, the conditions aren't. This year it's all been turned up a notch, the stakes are higher than ever. All I can say to Danica is: be careful what you wish for. Good luck to everyone, and safe racing to all.

Nov. 15, 2009: Guest Take by Kathy Beth - I have been thinking about my life as a race fan, particularly NASCAR - and the time and efforts involved in that passion. 1] You have to choose your driver - looks, talent, looks, team, looks, sponsor, looks (hey - as a 3sistersracing member - you must adhere to the rule, "if you're going to have a driver he might as well be HOT! I guess you guys can say you picked them for other reasons! :o) (And try to be respectful of your friends' drivers, don't take the fun out of their fun!) 2] You must start buying their stuff - (doesn't matter your budget - if the light bill goes unpaid to buy that jacket or shirt, so be it!); 3] You must trick out your ride - bumper stickers and decals (hey, I know where to get a discount on those!), seat cushions, flags - gotta make your statement driving to and from the track! 4] You have to get your tickets - look for the best seats you can get - like ours at Kansas Speedway, right down by the start/finish where you can hear and feel and smell the cars race by! (If you have to sit in nosebleed to get into the track - do it - there's a memory to be made anywhere at a track!) 5] Visit Fan Zone, buy pit passes and stand in line for hours to get that special autograph at least once, it's a race fans best moment when you actually see your favorite drive up close and personal! 6] If you take a bus tour - (which is awesome for tracks like Talladega and Bristol where the wait in traffic is really long, because you have a bathroom - actually that's a need for us girls, rather than a want!) always sit in the back of the bus - we've made some of our best memories - and AWESOME NEW FRIENDS - you know - back there! 7] NEVER MISS THE FLYOVER! Talk about chills, it's just indescribable! (Or the tailgating - but that's a whole 'nother great story!) 8] Take the trip - no matter the weather forecast! Seems they always get the races in - and even when they don't (this summer in Eldora comes to mind!) half the fun is the road trip and the silly, memorable moments along the way! 9] Surround yourself with a bunch of crazy race fans - who become a bunch of close crazy friends along the way! 10] Be appreciative of the racing - not just the fight up front, but the battles at every turn - and at every position. Each driver is fighting for every point each position gains them - and sometimes the best racing is at the back of the pack or the cluster in the middle!! Contrary to remarks by those who simply haven't got it yet - it's not all about "left turns"! Come to a race with the 3sisters and our gang - even if you don't learn to love the racing, we promise you a great time and hopefully a newfound respect for the sport and the drivers we love! Words from Willie Nelson's "On The Road" again work well to sum it all up, (paraphrased of course!) "On the road again, Just can't wait to get on the road again. The life I love is goin' racing with my friends, And I can't wait to get on the road again. On the road again, Goin' places I've never been, Seein' things I may never see again, and I can't wait to get on the road again. On the road again, like a band of gypsies we go down the highway. We're the best of friends. Insisting that the wheels keep turning our way."

Sept. 30, 2009: The anticipation is mounting! It's finally here, what we've been waiting for all year! The Chase continues at Kansas and we have front row seats. I miss Dad so much at times like this, he and Nola went with us last year, and we were all so glad to finally go to a Cup race with them. Dad not only knew racing at every level, from driver to fan to critic, he was passionate about it at every step. He predicted this year that Jimmie would have his 4th consecutive championship, and he's probably doing what he can to make that happen, you know, up there. I've found a few driver appearances that I wanted to share with the peeps. If anyone else had heard anything, please let us know. Tony Stewart will make an appearance and sign autographs at the Office Depot store on Wednesday, September 30 from 4:45 to 5:45 pm. 350 wristbands will be given out starting at 8am at the store on 4851 North Oak Traffic Way in Kansas City. Kasey Kahne will be a Cabela's on Thursday, October 1 from 6-8 pm. Kasey will also be at Kansas Speedway for the Budweiser One Night Stand on Friday, October 2 from 8-10 pm. Apparently there will be no autographs, just a party. On Sunday, October 4 the Victory Club at Kansas Speedway is selling tickets to see Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann, Marx Papis and Paul Menard. Go to KansasSpeedway.com to see how to purchase tickets. Reitumann will be there at 9:30; Menard, 9:50; Gordon and Bowyer times to be announced. When we were in Las Vegas, both Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon were at the MRN radio broadcast tent before the race. It was a great photo opportunity, and Dane caught Kyle coming out of the inconspicuous white van that drove him to the venue. Of course we then waited for Jeff, but seeing how Jeff is so much more popular (and attractive!) he was whisked to and fro undercover like the superstar that he has truly become! So just a heads up, that MRN tent is pretty popular. On Saturday, October 3, the Nationwide Lottery 300 race begins at 2:00 PM (be there at 1:00 for the flyover and driver introductions) and the Sunday Cup PriceChopper 400 begins at 1:00 pm, and again, be there at least an hour early for the pre-race festivities. Both days we will meet at the Gold Bank on Midland Drive at 8:00 am sharp (yeah, right). Let's not forget the race today. Last night, Clint Bowyer won the Nationwide race at Dover, after Kyle dominated the early part of the race. Denny whined that Brad K wrecked him, which he did. Denny, in all his maturity and wisdom, said he can't wait until Brad learns how to race in the Cup series. Dane and I have mentioned all year how Denny will take anyone out, he apparently doesn't remember that. I guess driver's memories are short, or long, depending on which side of the wreck you were on. But my memory is long, because Denny has taken out Jeff twice this year. Carl needs to do well today, but will be hampered by his broken foot. It's hard to drive with one foot in a cast, going 120 miles per hour, with other crazy drivers trying to pass you at every turn. Just ask Shannon!

Sept. 20, 2009: We're about to enter the Chase, and I'm curious what it will bring. No Kyle Busch? No Dale Earnhardt Jr.? No Matt Kenseth? None of those drivers deserve to compete in the playoffs, and they realize it. Kyle's too inconsistent, Dale is races away from gelling with his new crew chief, and Matt seems to be a bit blasé about the whole mess. I would say the fire has gone out of Matt, but it's hard to tell!. He showed signs of a smoldering ember, his two wins to begin the year, but the whole Roush camp seemed to flicker out after that. The Fords just seem to have a harder time getting their heads wrapped around this new car. And honestly, the 5 teams don't seem to play nice with each other. I've heard rumors that Biffle and Matt are BFFs, and Carl is the goofy kid that never has really fit into the cliché. Jamie is a lame duck, and David Ragan seems confused most of the time. Jack Roush must be scratching his hat trying to figure out how to turn this thing around.
Joe Gibbs has one car in the Chase. In fact, Toyota has only two cars in the Chase. Dad would be glad that they finally took away the unfair advantage Toyota had in horsepower. I wonder if he had something to do with that...? Denny Hamlin has bullied his way into the Chase, woe to any driver that tried to stand in his way. That "emotional" win at Pocono was merely a display of crocodile tears from a driver that never races like he's raced. I've seen him punt more cars out of his way in one race than a Chiefs kicker. At least with his teammate Kyle, what you see is what you get: an immature boy that has flashes of brilliance, tempered by tantrums. Denny is a lot more insidious. And I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him.
Please don't give up on Junior yet. Three million NASCAR fans can't be wrong! Although I agree that his window of opportunity is narrowing, I'm still hoping that he can carve out his own niche in NASCAR history. Not only as the son of the father, but as a contender for the Championship in his own right. He is a two time Busch champion, has 18 Sprint Cups win, honestly, the guy is no flash in the pan. Once he gets on track with Lance McGrew, there will be no more excuses to not perform.
As for the Chasers, we as fans couldn't have asked for a more competitive field. From Jimmie looking for his 4th consecutive championship (incredible!); to Tony looking to be the most successful owner/driver ever! ever!; to Jeff Gordon shrugging off his chronic back pain to perhaps have his best shot for the Championship since the Chase began; to Mark Martin showing that Fifty is the new Twenty (or maybe the new Thirty? Forty?), the 2009 Chase for the Championship should provide all the excitement that we can stand.
BRING IT ON!

August 2, 2009: Nascarla was right on about Jeremy Mayfield. "I fear he protest too much!" He's even beginning to sound like a meth head. Jeremy's tirades sound paranoid and defensive, and frankly, disturbed. His comical odyssey to try and find NASCAR's testing lab on that Monday was obviously a frantic attempt to avoid the test. The calls he claimed got lost in his voice mail showed up on his phone record as being received, and the NASCAR employee Jeremy denied talking to claims he said he would be at the lab for the test. Aren't cell phones a bitch? Just like a teenager these days, it's hard to use the excuse that "I wasn't near a phone", or "I didn't get your call." I don't really know why his stepmother would lie about the drug use she witnessed, although there have been incidents of evil stepmothers in racing... And anyone that has ever tried to hide any sort of addiction, or has been duped by someone trying to hide an addiction, the signs are usually there. If you look. Jeremy claims he has never done meth, or any amphetamine. A mixture of Adderall and the allergy medication Claritin-D is what caused the positive result on May 1, so says Jeremy. And NASCAR paid off his stepmother to make the allegations she made in her affidavit. And she hates him because he didn't give her money. And she killed his father. And NASCAR doesn't like him. Nobody likes him. Waaah! First of all, why would a grown man need to take a medication for attention deficit disorder? Put on your big boy panties and deal with it. If he got all methed up and went out on the racetrack, that is darn near inexcusable. And for his wife to allow this kind of behavior, is beyond enabling. Stand by your man is sometimes admirable, but at what cost? There is no happy end to this story, everyone loses. Don't be surprised if the next story you read about Jeremy is in the obituaries.
It's been very busy since Dane and I have gotten married. I have many stories and pictures to share about all of our racing experiences. From our wedding in Las Vegas to our rained out road trip to Eldora, we've been living our dream of making this hobby of ours a priority in our lives. We want to experience it all, and to enjoy every minute of it. People laughed at Dane and Kathy and I because we drove 1500 miles to a rained out race, but we'd do it again in a heartbeat. Just like the premise of our website, it's all about the trip.
It looks like it's clearing in Pocono. This would be a beautiful place to watch a race. Generally it ends up a fuel mileage race, which has really become the norm. I used to think fuel mileage races are boring, but it makes the finish very exciting. You're sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to see whose gonna make it, and who isn't. What could be more frustrating then having to conserve gas the last 20 laps, then have a green-white-checkered finish, and run out anyway! I would rather keep my foot in it, and let the laps fall where they may. Of course I'm not running for a championship. Speaking of running for a championship, we were thinking about going to Homestead for the last race of the season. Dane and I have so much we want and need to do, with the house, and the yard, so we have to budget our time and money with that in mind. So as we were contemplating the trip, Dane said: "What if this is Jeff's last chance at a Championship?" "Don't you want to see that?" Yes, yes I do. See, what a great husband. Always thinking about me. It's possible that Jeff will retire, given his back problems, among other things. So we went ahead and booked our trip. I would kick myself if I never got the chance to see Jeff claim his 5th championship. And even if that doesn't happen, like I said, it's all about the trip.

July 25, 2009: Have you ever seen Really! with Seth and Amy - Saturday Night Live comedy segment? Really! That skit comes to mind as I'm reading about the Jeremy Mayfield drug scandal... what a meth! Apparently Jeremy tested positive again for methamphetamine on July 6th - seemed to take forever to get those results posted, I mean really - we want to know! It probably seemed like an eternity for NASCAR to get those "samples" in hand, so to speak. Jeremy, delaying the test for 7 hours - really! I guess you were really, really lost - or your GPS system was on the blink. Of all days - I mean really. And I'm really sorry about your blankety-blank wicked stepmother, what people won't do for money these days! Lying about a cookout, or cooking something, I think while she was taking out the trash... Oh no, you said she is trash. Really. What I really want to know is; how many pee samples do you have out there, I lost count. Over six, I believe - wow! I don't do drugs, unless you're counting caffeine, nicotine and the occasional Long Island Tea - so I can't really tell what a person on meth acts like, but I'm thinking it looks like you do these days, all wild-eyed, paranoid and bushy-tailed. I do know that if I was accused of something that hazardous to my career, I would probably be bouncing off the walls myself, loudly proclaiming my innocence. Wait a minute, I wouldn't have to - there are no drugs to find in me, no where, no how! Really! Ever! Enough about me - what's up with Shana Mayfield, I haven't heard a peep out of her. And that lawyer - Bill Diehl? Really! He looks like he's on something himself (now, that really wasn't very nice of me to say!). And teams looking for a driver, they are skeered of you - ya' think? Really! I read that you say, sure, test me any time you want - Really..., except maybe on July 6th, right after the weekend... Yes, it's a mess, a big old really, really confusing meth mess. Jeremy, and all you other drivers looking for a 'recreational' edge - JUST SAY NO - REALLY!!!

June 30, 2009: I'm back! Sorry for the delay, Nascarla has been very patient with me. It's been a year since my new husband and I starting dating, and so much has happened. Engaged, married, becoming a stepmom, and enjoying life to the fullest. Our dad passed away on May 22, otherwise I would say it's been a very good year. What a wonderful man, friend, and race fan. Every race I watch, indeed, everything I do, makes me think of Dad, and how he would have reacted. What would he have said when Kyle Busch smashed that perfectly good guitar to smithereens? I know exactly what he would have said: "That doesn't surprise me." Dad would have been pretty gleeful though, despite Toyota's extra horsepower, that Kyle is more apt to blow leads this year, especially on the Cup side. Can you say "bad karma"? Now, I have never considered myself conservative, IN ANY WAY! But that little act of defiance (and that is what it was, despite his objections to the contrary) was so Kyle! He did that, not to rub his win in anyone's nose, but to show that he could. And would. Antiestablishment. Anti-old school. And especially Anti-Junior. Like Junior said, he doesn't know why Kyle has it in for him. Hmmm, I wonder... Junior is a good old boy, kinda hard to rile. Kyle is like an annoying little gnat, buzzing around Junior's head, Junior brushing him off with a distracted wave of the hand. And that probably drives Kyle crazy. Most Nashville winners covet the guitar, keep it in a safe place, taking it down only to oooh and awww over it. What was a beautiful piece of art, Kyle treated like an instrument to show his distaste for God and country. Well, that might be a little extreme, especially coming from such a liberal. Far be it from me to not let everyone express themselves in their own way. But like I used to tell Kortney, my stepdaughter, when you express yourself in a way that someone expects you too, it's not really individualism. So whatever Kyle does to try to look out of the ordinary, looks ordinary. I'm a little tired of his antics, but they don't distract too much from the joy I get out of watching racing. I grudgingly admire his passion, but he does need a little tempering. Which should come with time. The only alternative to maturing is burning bright then burning out.

April 15, 2009: OMG! James and Nascarla's Demon is so impressive! I hope James can keep it out of trouble, because if there was prize money for looking the best, that stock car would win. Nascarla and Finish Line Graphics have really out done themselves on the graphics. And James has that hot rod tricked out! I can't wait until the season opener at Lakeside, which will be Friday night, April 17. We are all living vicariously through James and Nascarla. This is where they both should be, not just at the track, but on the track.

As I write this, we are watching the "Saturday Night Special" at Bristol. This "old" guys don't look like they've missed a beat. Of course, I use that term "old guys" loosely, seeing how I'm as old as a few of them. It is really setting the stage for a great year of racing, both dirt and asphalt. We've already got our tickets for Eldora's "Prelude to a Dream". It's fun to watch the drivers, both past and present, in late models, tearing it up like they don't have a care in the world. The interesting thing about Eldora is that the "Prelude" isn't really the main attraction. The weekend after the Prelude they have a late model feature race that is 100 laps. It's a racing party from Wednesday to Sunday, and the people really bring it. It's out in the middle of nowhere, just like a lot of the local race tracks throughout the country. Hell, like a lot of the big tracks. Like Bristol. Like Darlington. Whoever thought Wyandotte County Kansas would be the Mecca of the Midwest? Tony Stewart's track in Ohio embodies what is best about racing: no frills flat out fun.

I really enjoy going racing with my new husband. Both he and his son, Chase, are very knowledgeable about racing, and Dane has a great sense of humor. He was just contemplating how they got Jimmy Spencer in that late model. A shoe horn? Another question: How does he get out? I think we're going to be a great team. He even loves to shop, and will help carry all the seester's stuff! What else can this speed-loving, car-crazy chick ask for in a husband? Today, at Bristol, will hopefully be Jeff's day. It's hard to imagine that Kyle Busch won't be up there. But his crew's miscue in the Nationwide race, and Kyle's meltdown because of it, it might be a long season for the 18 group. Their growing pains are starting to make or break their races. Any way, enough about Kyle. Why am I dwelling on Kyle. I should be talking about a much more pleasant subject: Jeff Gordon. Bristol is one of Jeff's best tracks, remember the bump and run he put on Rusty Wallace? And the pushing match he got into with Matt? Well, it wasn't so much a pushing match, since Jeff was the only one doing the pushing. Emotions run the gamut here at Bristol, it's 500 laps of pure excitement. It's a matter of attrition, and hopefully Jeff will be the last man standing.

March 7, 2009: Hey race fans - I'm back! And just in time. Jeff is on the brink of his first win since October of 2007, and I am chomping at the bit. As I'm sure he is also. The thing that excites me about him (well, one of the things!) is that he is being able to drive a loose race car. It's puzzling, the Hendrick stable had a good handle on the COT when it was first introduced, then Jeff and Junior couldn't drive that car last year if their jobs depended on it. It's a good think it didn't! Now Jeff and Steve Letarte seem to have a better grasp of their roles: Jeff, drive the damn car and let Steve do his job. Of course, Jeff's feedback is important, after all, he's a four time champion. But this year, instead of seemingly being at odds about what will work, Jeff seems content to drive what he gets. At Las Vegas, where he missed the pits, flat-spotted his tires, then blew out the left front fender, he was almost like a man possessed. He drove it like he stole it, rallying back to finish in the top 5. And yesterday, at Atlanta, he didn't have much for Kurt Busch, nobody did. But Jeff ran him hard at the green/white/checkered, and sometimes that all you can ask. Bristol will be a big test as far as showing exactly how aggressive he will be.
The new men in my life, Dane and Chase, are huge racing fans, and they are assimilating real well with my race-crazy family. Las Vegas was the first out-of-town race Dane has been to, and he loved it. Of course, hanging with the seesters means carrying lots of their crap, taking lots of pictures, and the most important thing, figuring out the scanner! Dane does all those things without complaining, and his enthusiasm (and organizational skills!) make it so much easier to have fun. The best thing about being race fans is that there's always something right around the corner to look forward to, like James and Nascarla getting the Demon out on the track at Lakeside this year. I wish them all the luck in the world, and admire their pursuit of their dream.
My dad is fighting the good fight, and we're hoping that he'll be able to go out and see James in the car some Friday night. There's racing in our blood, and we can thank Dad for that.

March 1, 2009: Well, this isn't Judy Kay, it's NASCARLA filling in a little space today. Judy Kay has other things on her mind, such as her impending wedding to fellow NASCAR fan, Dane Cross. After the Las Vegas race she will be Judy Kay Cross - cool! Anyway, I just read in the Scene Magazine that Chad Knaus and the Jimmie Jimmie Jimmie Johnson team don't feel the need for a Four-Peat slogan. I don't think they can come up with anything clever on their own, because they seem to be ignoring the ingenius titles all the Jimmie fans have been coming up with... Tony Stewart is going to win the 2009 Cup Championship (or Clint Bowyer is, or Kyle Busch will, or probably Carl Edwards!), so I have a slogan for you Chad: "Four? Gone!" Get it? Four Gone! Hee Hee!

Nov. 9, 2008: OK, now I've heard it all. Rush Limbaugh chiming in on NASCAR. He puts his foot in his mouth more than Jimmy Spencer! But Jimmy has the excuse of being a NASCAR driver, not a "journalist", like Rush (and I use both of those words connected to both of those people very loosely!). You don't expect Jimmy to be as articulate and polished as someone who has had a broadcast career for years. Recently Rush Limbaugh (who truly is a "Big Fat Liar) said that "Sarah Palin... might as well be on the NASCAR circuit" by the way the "elitist" Democrats portray her as a "Hayseed Hick". What?!? Obviously he doesn't know much about the NASCAR fan base. There might not be much parity at the drivers' level, but there certainly is where the fans are concerned. Does he realize how many union members are NASCAR fans? And they are almost always Democrats. And the good old Southern boys, who make up a large portion of Rush's listening audience, vote as red as their necks. And some of the names that have served as Grand Marshall's of NASCAR races reads as the Who's Who of the Republican Party: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cindy McCain, heck, both George Bushes! But Limbaugh was obviously not thinking when he muttered those words, which isn't unusual. And then did his usual backtracking when asked about it. Just like RaceDay on Sunday, they spend the first fifteen minutes of the show explaining Jimmy Spencer's comments the week before. Talking about parity in sports, ever since the Chase began NASCAR has struggled trying to maintain it. But it's really not anything new to NASCAR, a dominant driver and team making each week a little boring, and frustrating, for the other drivers, and their fans. Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt, Sr., and Jeff Gordon have each muscled their way to numerous championships, some years cruising to the trophy, and some years needing all the luck they could muster. Even Jeff Burton, although yet to win a Championship, had a string of winning years back in the later 90s that could have been termed "dominating". Jimmie's run has been a little different. Every year of the Chase has been a step up for the 48 team, and for three years they have been heads and shoulders above all the other Chase competitors. Hell, all the competitors. King of the NASCAR Mountain, with no end of his rule in sight. But just like Tiger Woods having surgery, or Tom Brady going down with injury, or a snot-nosed Whippersnapper like Kyle Busch controlling the "regular" Cup season, dynasties in every sport crumble at some point. A team or player comes along that is stronger, or younger, or wiser, and the planets and stars align for them and they have their year (or years) on top of that hill. But there is only one way down, and it's not near as fun as the way up. And three times as tough. It's Jimmie and Chad's time to shine, and they deserve every lap of it. And the going up is worth the coming down. An update on the Jeff Gordon cut out, he's still in the Garage. Coming in 2nd last week should be attributed to his new point of view, because it certainly wasn't anything to do with his car setup. He and the whole 24 team got extremely lucky that they didn't run out of gas the way the 88 car did. At this point, I'll take it. And it was nice to see them take a chance. Getting a little antsy though, 2 more races, and neither one at Jeff's best track. He said he'd be grateful for a top 5 in the points this year, and I guess a season without a win has got to be his worst season yet at this level. Which just goes to show you how good of a racer he is. Now he needs to go out and prove it. All over again.

Nov. 2, 2008: OK, it's time to get serious. Three races to go, and Jeff's winless this season. I'm going to pull out all the stops to help ensure that his winning streak stays intact. I know it's not all about me, but what if I'm the reason Jeff hasn't won? I don't like it when Jeff doesn't win. It's a lot more fun when he does, maybe IT IS all about me... First off, we're moving the Jeff Gordon cutout. I know, it's a dramatic step, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Jeff came out of the basement a few years ago, a symbol of my newly found freedom. Finally I was able to openly embrace my love for racing, and Jeff. He's watched over my life since then, seeing me go from the dark into the light. Jeff's won several times since his likeness has graced my space, but I'm starting to think the cutout is bad Feng Shui. Maybe his job is done, MY life is quite satisfying now, as I'm sure Jeff's is, after all, he has a wonderful new daughter, a beautiful (gag me) wife and HAS THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD. And all the money he ever needs in the world. I have the most incredible new man, wonderful family and pets, and I STILL HAVE MY JOB. This symbol of Jeff hasn't been discarded, it's been repositioned to invite good luck and prosperity to both of us. (See, I'm using every means available to ensure victory! Everyone be very scared if I start praying.) The Voo Doo doll has never done much, thanks anyway Pam, or maybe we just don't know how to use it. I did dig out my old, reliable Jeff Gordon shirt: "Refuse to Lose". It's seen all of Jeff's championships, and has been a part of many of his wins, both at the track and in front of the TV. It's dingy, and stained, but I hoping it still represents. Lately, since I have so much to do, and the weekends seem to fly, Dane and I have been recording the race and watching it later. And later. But today, we are going to sit down and watch every anxious moment, on live TV! Just like the old days, before DVRs. Jeff has done his best to at least be in a position to be competitive, with his first pole ever at Texas. A track where he has never won, this could be a good omen for the 24 car. A first pole, perhaps a first win? I think Jeff's championship hopes are slim, I see the 48 and 99 being the two teams realistically still in the Chase for the Championship. Biffle runs good at Texas, but usually can't finish that rodeo. Jr. has won here, and he would be my second choice, but I don't even want to entertain any other scenario but Jeff Gordon going to Victory Lane today. There are many excuses for Jeff struggling this year. Becoming a father and not being as focused on his racing as he has been in the past is understandable. His nasty crash at Las Vegas perhaps has left him a little throttle-shy. Who could blame him? I know Dale Jarrett was never quite the same after his hard crash in Turn 2 at Kansas. And Jeff hit that inner wall at Vegas hard. And his team, headed by his crew chief Steve LaTarte, just can't seem to get his car better as the race goes on. Like last week at Atlanta, after Chad Knaus gambled with track position and put on four fresh tires, why didn't the 24 car follow suit? Jimmie drove through the field like they were standing still. Dad believes that the 24 and 88 should duplicate the 48's setup every race, if it's not broke, copy it! Let the drivers' adjust to the car, not vice versa. I know, we're talking about a four time champion, and the sport's most popular driver, adjusting their driving style. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Hey, I'm doing my part. I just checked on my Jeff cutout, outside soaking up the surprisingly warm November sun. But there's a slight wind, although a warm southern one, probably kicking up from Texas, that keeps blowing him over. I hope that's not a bad sign...

Oct. 26, 2008: Since Judy Kay is busy getting engaged and she is a little more time challenged with her brand new boyfriend, I am making a substitute entry for "This Week's Take". I am watching the Atlanta race right now, watching Jimmie rebound from a pit road speeding penalty. I have listened to about every commentator, interview and analysis this week regarding his bid at making Nascar history...a 3rd consecutive Championship, which would tie Cale Yarborough's record of the late 70's. I am not one to wish my life away, but boy do I wish it was Homestead weekend! I am just a nervous wreck, no pun intended! I so admire the focus, determination and fortitude of Jimmie and his team week after week, heck - this race is a good example of it lap after lap! and THEY expect themselves to overcome whatever comes their way more than anyone does. I am watching on my Direct TV Nascar Hot Pass, which has a channel designated to Jimmie this week, so I get to ride shotgun with him as he powers through the field, back from a lap down in 31st to 9th with 50 laps to go. Talk about drama! Jimmie is seeing phantom debris, feeling his engine go "flat", (which brought Chad up out of his seat in a hurry) to a caution with 35 laps to go, which will thankfully eliminate any added drama of a green flag pit stop. So it is time to pick 'em up, and put 'em down. And...oh my gosh...isn't that just what they did! Pit with 9 laps to go for 4 tires, restart at 11th, finishing 2nd! Just awesome! To quote the announcer, "an incredible drive, by an incredible driver!" As a fanatical race fan, I know I sound very prejudiced, but there really are so many lessons in life to be learned from racing. In my humble opinion, much more than any other team sport. Judy Kay has addressed the issues regarding Nascar's ranking as a sport, and the drivers as athletes many times in her takes, and the only way I think you can believe either is simply ignorance of the sport. Many people believe they just get in the car, put tires on it and go. And there could be nothing further from the truth. If you follow a car through the whole race, like I just did, you will see the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows in 325 laps on the track. Preparation, perserverence, respect for authority, forward thinking, energetic cheerleading - and of course, talent, are all qualities you will see. A total range of emotions, where sometimes a 2nd place finish is like winning the race when you come back from a day of obstacles. NasCarla's favorite quotation, "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal" are great words to live, and drive by! On to Texas, with an additional 34 points added to his lead. Chad told Jimmie at lap 9, "Go get 'em dude!" - and although it won't make the watching any less nervewracking, I echo those sentiments! Kathy Beth

September 6, 2008: Hurricane Kyle is fixin' to come ashore at Richmond, and he will create havoc when he hits. Whether it's shoving former champions out of the way, or marking his territory wherever he goes, he's a force to be reckoned with at each race. I just saw on www.nascar.com that they will hold both races on Sunday. Kathy and I went to the Spring race at Richmond, it was so much fun! Denny Hamlin really thought he had that race sewed up, until he had a flat tire, and decided to stay out and screw up everyone else's chances. Ultimately (and inevitably) his tire came apart. Jr. was leading at that point, had about a half a lap on the field, with 15 or so laps to go. Under caution the field was bunched up, and Kyle frickin Busch went high and got into Junior. The fans were not happy! Neither was Junior! Oh course Kyle continued on, I can't remember where he finished, but I know he didn't win, which is a big bonus. Clint Bowyer really needs to win again at Richmond, and Denny and David Ragan and Kasey Kahne need to have trouble, to get the hometown boy in the Chase. If last year is any indication, all Clint needs to do is to get in the Chase. Finishing third last year was a pleasant surprise, Clint is obviously a great driver when the chips are down. Must be that hard-nosed dirt track experience he got at Lakeside. I honestly believe there are no prima donnas in NASCAR. You have to pay your dues. There's no way of getting around it. Everyone thought Jeff was born with that silver helmet on, but he started driving midgets at 5 years old, and put in some serious seat time. As did Jr., Jimmie, Tony, and ok, yes, the Busch Brothers. I think it is the fair weather fans that, like any other sport, don't really understand the drive and commitment it takes to be at the pinnacle of your sport. Kathy Beth told me that she heard that Jeff wants to be retired in time to drive Ella to school. She turned one in July, so that means another four years until... Although Dad had an interesting theory: Mark Martin drives the #5 car in 2009, Brad Keslowski takes over the #5 car in 2010, Jeff's last year in the 24. Then Brad will take over the 24 car after Jeff retires. It will be a sad, sad day when Jeff turns over the keys. I'm not sure what I'll do, stick with the car or find me another hot driver. Because, bless his heart, Brad is a helluva driver, but not hot enough. Sorry Nascarla, but that's just the way I roll. If I may reiterate our website's Do's and Don'ts: if you have a favorite driver, he might as well be hot. How can you fantasize about a driver, like the Allstate stalkers do, if he's not hot? All the ability in the world can't make up for an ugly mug. Sorry. It's my fantasy, and I'm sticking to it.

August 9, 2008: Sorry I haven't been keeping up with my takes, but honestly, I don't know what to say about NASCAR these days. (Plus, I have a brand new boyfriend, Dane, and he keeps me pretty busy, if you know what I mean!) The races in the last couple of months have been less than inspiring for this race car fan, and partly because of Kyle Busch's dominance. With our economy basically tanking, every entertainment dollar is precious, and there is lots of competition for it. NASCAR tiptoes through a minefield every week trying to balance safety, parity and good old fashioned stock car racing. And not always are they successful. From the tire debacle at the Brickyard to the mind-numbing caution lap racing at Montreal, NASCAR has dropped the ball recently. They should have called the race at Montreal before halfway, what a rip-off to the fans! Sure, show us a few record-setting laps in the rain, then wait until a brighter day to finish the race. And I'm not sure they shouldn't have called the race at Indianapolis after halfway. NASCAR threw a competition caution every 20 laps because of bad tires. Any team that needed long green flags runs to be competitive was basically screwed. And that took a lot of teams out of contention. Everyone was pointing fingers after the race: IMS blamed Goodyear, Goodyear blamed NASCAR, and NASCAR blamed, oh I don't know, the planets not aligning correctly? Pocono was all about fuel mileage, which is usually is, but we needed an exciting race to shake things up. I was glad to see Kyle Busch run out of gas. Dad gummit, I hate to be a "hater" but he is just on my last nerve. Last night, during the Nationwide Race at Watkins Glen, he was, in a word, reckless. But talented. He had an "uncontrolled tire", synchronized spin with Jeff Burton, ended up with the lead, and still finished second! (Lucky little snot-nosed whippersnapper!) But with his attitude, his racing karma is bound to catch up with him. My Dad is the biggest NASCAR fan, and he's even getting irritated. I personally am glad to see the Olympics. Despite the doping, the politics and the silliness of some of the events (trampoline?), it's a nice alternative to what has become a fairly predictable NASCAR season. Don't get me wrong, I watch every race, and it's the biggest deal of my life (second only to my family, boyfriend, friends and pets). But I get to watch the equestrian events, and the swimming and gymnastics really intrigue me, and it's kind of a breath of fresh air. Hopefully Jeff will win today, that would be the best medicine for this slightly disgruntled race fan.

June 29, 2008: My seester Nascarla thinks she's pretty smart. On both of our fantasy leagues, day and night, everyone passed on Kyle Busch. He was changing teams, he's a enigma, you never know what you're going to get from one race to the next. Consistency, the backbone of fantasy sports, is not his strong point. Plus, goodness sakes, he's driving a TOYOTA this year! So many red flags, no one was ready to take a chance on The Wild Thing. On the day shift league, I think he went in the third round. Well, are our faces red! He's proved us all wrong, and Nascarla's faith in him just goes to show you how well she's perfected her fantasy play. Way back, when we started picking teams, she only picked her favorite drivers, no matter how hapless they were. Good lord, she picked Buckshot Jones! I think he's one of her three people. You know the 3 people rule, don't you? Everyone can pick 3 people that they could leave their significant other for, without any repercussions. Obviously you have to call it early in the relationship, otherwise we would be changing the big three every time you see a hot driver, or movie star, or rock star. That's another thing, they have to be somewhat unattainable. It would put too much strain on a relationship to know that your spouse has his best friend's wife, or your best friend, waiting in the wings as one of their "three". I have Jeff Gordon, George Strait and am not really sure about number three. Maybe Jimmie Johnson, or Tony Stewart, or practically any of the Cup drivers (minus the Busch brothers or Greg Biffle). Nascarla has always been very loyal to her drivers, whether they have a ride or not. In fact, I believe that she actually is Kyle's champion because I really don't like him at all. She might feel a little pity for him. And see what that's got her? An insurmountable lead on the day shift league, and her and Kyle are one race away from wrapping up the first half championship for the night league. She's picking her teams now with her head, not her heart, and unlike the rest of us, with no prejudice. I wouldn't have Kyle Busch on my team if you paid me, and apparently no one will. So Nascarla will win 240 cans of her favorite beverage, and I'll end up the 1st loser. But my pride is still intact, no Kyle Busch for me. And no winnings either.

June 1, 2008: If there is one single reason for a non-race fan to attend an event, it's the fly-over. Even most of the local, smaller tracks try to start the show with a show. Kansas has always had great fly-overs. With Whiteman so close, the Stealth has graced us with it's presence more than once, and who knows how many other times? After all, it's the Stealth. At Richmond this year, Kathy and I witnessed one of the best fly-overs ever, the Blue Angels. They appeared out of the "Blue" from behind the backstretch, arched and parted right over us in the frontstretch. At Richmond, there are seats way up in the heavens, a rickety bleacher-like grandstand that was added as an afterthought. They probably could have reached out and touched those jets. That right there would have been worth the price of the ticket. We were surprised at Darlington one year, sitting out in the parking lot before the race, with a "practice" fly-over. They came out of nowhere, 5 jets buzzing us with no warning whatsoever. Kathy and I just looked at each other, speechless, thinking "how cool is this?" They were so low, all the car alarms started going off in the parking lot, it was crazy! Then they came back before the race, a double buzz! The other day on the way to work (unfortunately not to a race!) I had one of the best fly-overs ever. President Busch was in town for a private fundraiser in Bucyrus (pronounced Bew Cyrus), snarling traffic and making people late, doing what he does best. Driving northbound on I-35, running a little late for work, not bad, I started seeing cops and cones as I approached the second Gardner exit. I was thinking maybe a checkpoint; or a wreck; or a one-day sale at the super Wal-Mart? Right before I crossed under the viaduct, I noticed a policeman looking up into the sky, with a look of wonderment on his face. So I glanced up to the west, and right there, like a huge silent raptor, was Air Force One. They rose sharply, banking to the north, out into the wild blue yonder. Not realizing the havoc left in their wake. Roads closed, commuters late, scrambling to find detours. But it was a huge rush for me (despite the passenger!) Dover always has good fly-overs, being the home of the United States Air Force. Richmond also has access to great fly-overs, nearby Norfolk is home base to the United States Navy. There are over 134 aircraft based there, when not on a mission or deployed elsewhere throughout the world, with an average fly-over every 6 minutes. What a great place to live! Fly-overs, just another reason why we are the luckiest fans in the world.

May 18, 2008: Kyle Busch is hot! I never thought I would actually write those words. No, I haven't reached the point yet where Kyle is looking good to me. I'm not that desperate (yet)! Not hot as in "hotness". Not like Jeff. Or Jimmie. Or Tony. Or Kasey. But Kyle's season so far, in all three series, is absolutely phenomenal. I just wish I could find a redeeming quality about the man, besides his driving. Let me see: he seems to have a pretty good sense of humor, that signature bow of his could be somehow construed as playful. But it seems to come across as a bit sarcastic, like he's thumbing his nose at the fans. You can almost see that big ole chip on his shoulder. And really, his eyes are too far apart. I know it's not fair to dog on someone's appearance, because it's something that they can't do anything about (in this case he can't have surgery on his face like his brother Kurt did on his ears). But it makes him look sneaky, like a weasel, or ferret. (My apologies to the latter). He talks a good game, he was sure to give props to Greg and Jimmie in the burn out contest. And I know when he gets in a car, there is no driver with more talent or courage. And he usually wins or flames out big time. Last night the only thing that stopped him was his engine. Hmmmm, can you say "bad karma"? Probably not, because all three Gibbs cars had engine trouble this weekend. JGR, like most of the other teams, were "experimenting" with different engine packages and setups in the All Star race. Jeff looked lost, and Jimmie and Chad for once had a bad strategic call, staying out on old tires. Granted, the eventual winner Kasey Kahne also had old rubber, but he had a better car than the 48 all night, and was able to hang on during the last short run. I was glad to see Sam Hornish make the race, but wasn't surprised when he was one of the first to hit the wall. I think he'll be ok, but probably not dominate the way he did in IRL. When Kathy and I were in Richmond, we got to witness first hand a villain in the making. Not only did the crowd boo Kyle after wrecking Jr., but they booed their hometown boy, Denny Hamlin, for bringing out the caution that brought the field back to Junior! Denny grew up 20 minutes from the track, and spent his childhood sitting in turn four of RIR, dreaming of the day he could hear the local crowds cheer, just for him. But what he heard was jeers. And Kyle pissed off the fans early, on Friday night he had a tangle with Steven Wallace, who, although a bit reckless himself, is probably wouldn't be someone Kyle shouldn't mess with. He's a big kid with an affable way about him, but he always seems to be a little on edge. If Kyle's not careful, he's going to burn out quickly. Just like his brother did. A person can only take so much negativity before they start to second guess everything they do. At some point you have to say: maybe it's me.

April 18, 2008: That took some balls. Sorry to be crude, but that's the only word I can come up with for Chad's decision to keep Jimmie out on the track at Phoenix. We all heard him keeping Jimmie oblivious to the fuel shortage: "You have a 20 second lead on second place (Bowyer), slow it down." In reality, Bowyer was 10 seconds behind, but also conserving gas. A race where the slowest car in the last 10 laps won. Normally fuel races are pretty boring, this one had the drama of a one-hour soap opera, with the same speed. S-L-O-W. Mark Martin's #8 car (how weird does that sound!) should not have pitted. Martin, a veteran driver, can probably conserve gas better than a hybrid compact. Tony Gibson, his crew chief, should have known better. What did they have to lose? A top five finish, as compared to a win? The car isn't that high in points, Mark's not competing for the championship, call the race like you gotta pair! Like Chad. And the other Hendrick teams, did Chad not let them know his strategy? I think not. Otherwise Jeff and Junior may not have pitted. Jeff could have been in the top five purely based on attrition, but I think Junior's tires were gone. This pair (and I mean Chad and Jimmie) showed why they are back-to back Champions. Even early in the season, they showed that they are willing to risk it to bring home the Crown. Did you know that Nascarla and James are going to the Chapel, and they're going to get married? OK, not the chapel, the Wyandotte County Courthouse, where I'm sure there's been plenty of praying and confessing. I couldn't be happier for them. There can be a certain urgency about getting older: the rose colored glasses have dimmed, the reality of mortality looms, if you're gonna do it, you better do it now. My wiser, older sister deserves every happiness that comes her way, as does James. We will have a Reception at the Truck race at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, April 26th at 1:00 pm. Anyone that wants to join us, please meet up with us at the Gold Bank on Midland Drive at 12:00 pm on Saturday morning and we will caravan to the Speedway, just so we can all hang together at the Tailgaiting. I welcome James into our family. He's a wonderful man that, ever since I have known him, has always been there for us. I love that sparkle in his eyes, and it's usually directed towards Nascarla.

April 6, 2008: Having something to look forward to is an essential part of happiness. Sometimes the anticipation is better than the reality. Like right now, Kathy and I are getting ready for a race trip to Richmond in early May, with a side trip to Virginia Beach, for a well-deserved vacation. I don't know what I'm more excited about: the beach or the race weekend. All I know is that I am so lucky to have stumbled across this incredible hobby: watching cars driven by hot men go fast. This is the first time we will go to the Richmond race, on a .75 mile, D-shaped short track that will run under the lights on Saturday night. Picture this: lounging on the beach for 3 days, soaking up the sun with a good book (and those little drinks with the umbrella!); then taking a road trip to the track to spend two days soaking up THAT atmosphere. The colors, the sounds, the speed, the pageantry that is NASCAR racing, it don't get better than that. Our friend Laura Miller got us the tickets, and she'll be spending the week with us. And we all three deserve it, we've had more drama in our lives in the last 2 years (OK, 3, 4, 5...) than Jack Roush can even imagine. Like the infamous sway bar, we've had things stolen (our hearts, financial assets, artwork, vacations) and were subsequently lied to about it. Like the Matt/Carl feud last year, we've had dissension in the ranks, both personally and professionally. Sides were taken, lines were crossed, then came the inevitable nervous smiles and back-tracking. And like "The Cat in the Hat", we (me in particular) probably come across as a bit of a nag, bitter and a little paranoid. But this is a good track for Jack to come back, Matt and Greg have always run good here, and David Ragan and Jamie McMurray did well in practice this weekend. Matt would be hard pressed to have a worst race than he did last weekend at Martinsville, his day was a comedy of errors, in part his fault, but mostly just in the wrong place the whole race. Like I've said before, he's the Teddy Roosevelt of NASCAR: walk softly, and carry a big stick. Which he doesn't seem to mind using on occasion if he thinks he's being pushed around. I guarantee you that Matt would have been much more comfortable tussling with Carl on the track, in the car, than he was with Carl scowling down at him with his big "Guns" flexed last year. That has got to be one of the best confrontations caught on tape in the history of NASCAR. That "deer in the headlights" look that Matt had on his face was priceless. Junior is very impressive, not just for sitting on the pole at Texas, but the whole year he has been competitive in his Hendrick ride. And have you noticed, DEI has completely fallen off the NASCAR map. I have to think really hard if they have had a competitive run this year? Paul Menard in the 15 car, has been unimpressive; rookie Regan Smith in the 01 car isn't in the top 35; and Martin Truex, although he's doing well in points, has yet to lead a lap this year. With all her drama last year, Theresa might be glad to run under the radar for awhile, but sometimes even negative attention is better than no attention. At least in this sport. If they're not talking about you, than you are doing nothing worth talking about. Like winning. Maybe Theresa needs to join us on the beach...

March 16, 2008: I think Elliott Sadler said it best: "Don't insult our intelligence by saying that it wasn't intentional." Junior echoed basically the same sentiment: "And if you got out-cheated, then you didn't do your homework." Cheating (i.e. to violate rules dishonestly is probably the best meaning for this situation) has been going on since the first two cars lined up to race. My grandma drew a picture of the philosopher Diogenes, who "used to stroll about in full daylight with a lamp; when asked what he was doing, he would answer, "I am just looking for an honest man." Diogenes looked for an honest man and reputedly found nothing but "rascals and scoundrels." Do you think he was hanging out at a NASCAR garage? Or some dirt track in the Midwest? Or searching the curves of a prestigious F-1 road track in Europe? If so, he probably would have thrown his hands up in disgust, his search for honestly fruitless. By the way, the name Diogenes means "The Cynic". The picture my Grandma drew was full of "cheaters": a secretary that steals staples from her employer; a dieter eating a salad with a Hershey Bar in her pocket; a masked burglar slipping a 50 dollar bill out of the pocket of an unsuspecting do-gooder. Cheating comes in many different forms and for many different reasons. But why compound the situation by lying about the cheating? If you get caught, take the high road. (Easier said than done.) When publicly accused, Jack Rousch said he would take a lie detector test to prove his innocence. You could almost physically hear the collective sigh of relief that team took when he wasn't taken up on his offer. That oil plate was just too big to have fallen off and not be a debris caution at some point. Or flew up into the crowd and hurt somebody. What would they have us, and NASCAR, believe, that it flew into space and is now in it's own orbit around the earth? Or was snatched up by aliens who will now use it to create more downforce for their space ship? P-l-e-e-e-a-s-e! Whatever! I have my own theory about Jack Roush's Fords, and the Toyotas and Dodges as well. There is a reason why Chevy hasn't won yet this year. I'm sure the Chevy teams are playing by the rules, innocently going about their business, while the other manufacturer's are skulking around in the shadows, searching by hook or crook to get an edge. See how I've bought into Chevy's act? I've turned a blind eye to the nickname "Cheatin' Chad", and the knowledge that a couple of Jeff's championships have come under the tutelage of perhaps the biggest hoodwinker of them all, Ray Everham. Loyalty to a team or manufacturer sometimes comes at the expense of truth. And Carl Edwards could use a defense that my seester Nascarla likes to call "plausible deniability". (She's used it a couple of times, usually involving some drama that I've got her involved in). If you don't see it done, or didn't have an actual hand in it, then it didn't happen. Guilt-free, Carl can just say that all he has to do is "go out and drive the car as fast as it can go." And hope he doesn't get "out-cheated".

Feb.8, 2008: If you're skeered, say you're skeered. I'm skeered. Toyota may dominate the Cup Series like they did the Truck Series. After watching Tony win the Nationwide race at Daytona, I wonder if Ford and Dodge can contend. I think Chevy will be ok, they have Hendrick, and Toyota will have to wrestle the manufacturer's trophy from them. Jr. will probably be Chevy's best chance, he just didn't have anyone to push him in the Nationwide race. If he had Jimmie or Jeff in that race, he might have been able to top the Toyota's. I would like to see Tony win the Daytona 500, but please, not in a Toyota. I am so excited to watch tomorrow's race. Can I say Chevy is Goliath, and Toyota is David? If I said that, that would mean that Toyota will win. I'm not a person that doesn't accept change. I believe that changes stretch people, and teams. My own life shows me that if I want something, I have to accept certain things that are beyond my control, move on, and embrace all that life throws me. This is such a huge adjustment. They are asking too much of me. If my favorite driver, Jeff Gordon, moved to a Toyota, would I go with him? Hell yes, I would. Maybe. It's ingrained in me that I support Chevy, or GM. All of my ex's were GM men. They taught me that GM was user-friendly. Both as a consumer and as a NASCAR team. Neal always said that Ford were not engineered to the point where they were easy to repair. Kevin would rather work on a Chevy than a Ford any old day. That tells me alot. I would never buy a Ford. Dodge, I had a Dodge truck once that would never start. Kevin always told me that when you start a Dodge, it says: I don't want to start...I don't want to start. Really, sit back and listen to a Dodge. That's exactly what it says. But the Toyota has everything going for it: it's fast, it's the best selling car in the world, and now it is nudging it's way into the NASCAR world. All I care about is having some great racing. I don't want any manufacturer dominating the series. Unless it's Chevy.

Jan. 1, 2008: Well, race fans, it's been a bittersweet year for me. Jeff came so close, yet was so far from the championship. But his car won, and so did Jimmie Johnson fans, my seester Kathy Beth, red-headed stepsister Pam H, Sondra, Daniel, and a legion of JJ fans. Back to back championships', that hasn't been done since, well... Jeff Gordon in 1997 and 1998. Jimmie was so dominant, a true phenomena in this day and age of NASCAR racing. It was a year that saw a foreign manufacturer not quite muscle their way in, but bring a presence that will be a factor for years to come. It was a season where many old school drivers either retired or were a non-factor: Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd, Michael Waltrip. Some of the old-timers were competitive: Mark Martin, with 2 different teams, he may have contended for the championship if he hadn't been so adamant about scaling back his Cup career. He earlier signed with Ginn Racing, unfortunately buying into "new money" that didn't have any legs. Now he is with DEI, hopefully he will bring his experience and winning attitude to a team that desperately needs it. DEI needs some real leadership. I think Dale Jr. could have been their saving grace, not only as a driver but as a leader and mentor. As he matures it is so obvious to me that he has such untapped potential. Maybe there will come a time when he goes back to his roots and finishes what his dad started. I truly don't think Teresa has the leadership capabilities to take DEI where it needs to go in this competitive business. She has isolated herself from the rest of the industry. I think it is just her, she seems to be a very private person. When Dale Sr., was still alive, he completed her. Where she is behind the scenes, he was in the forefront. She has a cool head for business, he had the spontaneity and the ability to inspire. Teresa must be lost without him. Maybe Mark Martin can help guide her. And I think the other Jr., Martin Truex, has such a bright future in front of him. So DEI isn't dead, but it needs resuscitated in a big way! I will share some of my predictions and favorite moments of 2007 in a special column. I'm curious what NASCAR will do next, tweak the Chase, add more subjective rules, sell their soul for TV ratings. They cannot continue to keep changing things for the sole purpose of change. Sometimes you need to make a decision and stick with it. And sometimes you need to dump everything and start all over. It's a fine line. Like I said before, I'm glad it's not up to me make everyone in the NASCAR world happy. Happy New Year!

Nov. 4, 2007: Well, 3sistersracing has their first inside track to the pits, garage and ultimately, hopefully, the drivers. The lovely Shannon is deep in the heart of Texas, rubbing elbows (hopefully that's all!) with the big boys on the NASCAR circuit. Some might say we (the seesters) are wrong in using our own flesh and blood to promote racing for the above average fan. But we are living vicariously through her, so there. She's more interested in the man that so graciously invited her then she is in the racing, but she's a trooper, and is taking one for the team. I know, to get a Junior/Junior sandwich (Dale and Martin) or to have Jimmie Johnson try to run you over with his car (all in good fun) that's alot to ask of a race reporter. Really, we should be paying her for this kind of sacrifice. But given the fact that 3sistersracing is a nonprofit organization (not a charity, just no profit) we'll have to find another way to compensate her. She called me from the garage on Saturday and said she was STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO JEFF GORDON! I've been watching NASCAR for 15 years now, and never had a driver even give me a second glance. Sure, I met Jeff at Hickory, North Carolina one time, after spending 5 hours in line with 800 other people. When I got his autograph, he was polite, and said the right things, but I was just another anonymous fan(atic), I could tell. Maybe if I would have been 20 years younger, and was in the kind of shape Shannon is. Don't get me wrong, she's a natural beauty that is pleasant and unassuming. No Golddigger here. And believe me, I know 'em when I see 'em. I am so glad she is taking advantage of this time in her life, when she's free, and beautiful, and open to all sorts of adventures. And the fact that she is finding some of that fun on the most popular and prestigious racing circuit in the world, well, what can I say, the girl's got good genes. Truthfully, sometimes I see myself and my two seesters in that Allstate ad of Kasey Kahne's, not really stalkers, but given the opportunity... I hope Shannon will be good luck for Jeff. He's never won at this track, but has had some good finishes. I'm beside myself with anticipation, and angst, and every emotion in between. Jimmie is so strong, and absolutely anything can happen. Kathy and I were talking about how much fun it would be to go to Homestead, because I'm pretty sure that's where the Championship will be determined. But that might be too much to take, I'm a little fragile at this point. Whichever sisters' driver wins, it might be a long ride home.

Oct. 27, 2007: Sometimes things are not as they appear. Or people, for that matter. Just when you think you know someone... The situation with Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth has me baffled. Who is the true Carl Edwards? Or the real Matt Kenseth? Obviously, I'm not privy to anything other than what I see on television, or read about, concerning the Roush/Fenway teammates. I've watched Matt race since he came into the Busch Series in 1997. Quiet, unassuming, usually flying under the radar, while the spotlight shone brightly on his fellow Cup rookie Dale Earnhardt, Jr. He won a Cup championship in 2003, establishing himself as a perennial contender. After Mark Martin left Roush, I just assumed the leadership torch would be passed to Matt, so he could mentor and guide the newer members of the team. Along came Carl Edwards, a "golly gee heck durn" good ole' boy from Missouri. Or so he appeared. You would have thought he would have hung on Matt's every word, seeking guidance from and respectiing his elder. Now Carl says Matt hasn't said more than two sentences to him in the last 6 months. And obviously the lack of communication between the teammates was happening even before their altercation at Kansas. Or Martinsville. Like I said, I'm baffled by it. Apparently Matt and Greg Biffle are the best of friends, Matt was Greg's best man at his wedding a couple of weeks ago. I'm not even sure Carl was INVITED to the wedding. I saw the clip where Carl got in Matt's face after the Martinsville race, and like Bob Dilner said, it looked like a very "uncomfortable" situation. Matt had a real sick look on his face, like he wasn't sure whether he was going to get the crap beat out of him or not. And Carl was very intimidating. There was nothing "good ole' boy" about that driver that night. He looked, and sounded, like a bully. Lord knows I've seen that look on a man's face before, and it's very disconcerting. I would just pass it off as an on-track incident, where the drivers are blowing off a little steam. Or as Jack Rousch said, "we don't want to squelch the drivers' competitive spirit, even if they are teammates." But I think it's a little more than that. I think Carl is not as he appears, an affable easy-going jokester. All week long he's been apologizing for his behavior, and trying to smooth things over. But maybe we caught a glimpse of the real Carl Edwards on that dusky night in Martinsville. Competitive, to be sure, but honestly, he seems a bit bipolar. The Roush/Fenway stable needs to grow up, it reminds me of Junior High. Cliches form and ostrasize anyone new, or different, or better, in this case. Matt and Greg seem to be leaving Carl out of the loop, and I I don't know how Jamie McMurray fits into all this. And the poor put upon teacher, Jack Roush, needs to get some control. Sure glad we don't have any of that in the Hendrick camp! But like I said earlier, things are usually not what they appear. There's a cartoon in the Scene magazine this week that shows Jeff and Jimmie talking about their friendly rivalry, but in their minds Jimmie is saying "I'm going to take you down" and Jeff's muttering "You're toast!" That has to be conflicting, but I don't think either driver will be too heartbroken if the other has a bad race. I know one person who certainly won't let nepotism stand in his way en route to a championship, and that's Chad Knaus. He's another one where appearance could be deceiving... With Tony, and Kevin Harvick, what you see is what you get, you expect certain attitudes from those two drivers. They seem to kick and scream and rail against everything and everyone, and then promptly move on. But I guess it takes all types to make the world that is NASCAR go round.

Oct. 21, 2007: Can we maybe lighten up on NASCAR a little? After all, as fans, all we have to do is enjoy the racing. We don't have to do the constant juggling act that is the new, and improved(?) NASCAR. Problem: racing isn't competitive. Solution: a new car that gives the teams more parity. Resulting problem: racing is boring. (How can Talladega ever be boring for a race fan? If so, you need to get a life.) Problem: some of the full time teams, with full time sponsors, weren't making the races based on their speed. Solution: lock in the top 35 teams in owner points. Resulting problem: Some of the fastest teams are going home every week. Problem: Championship race can be locked up early, resulting in teams valuing consistency and security over winning. Solution: the Chase for the Championship, basically a playoff between the top 12 drivers after 26 races. Should make for better racing, and ratings. Resulting problem: As Jimmie said after Talladega: "The result of the race ...not being as action-packed is that 12 of us have a lot to lose right now." The Chase contenders may be tip-toeing through the last 10 races, while the remaining pack is aggressively, sometimes desperately, doing whatever it takes to literally keep their job. Like in real society, it seperates the haves from the have-nots. And that can lead to unrest. It's like our real jobs: sometimes the rules and decisions are made for you, and you can either fight them or try and work with them. For me, hey, they pay me to do my job, I will try not to stress about something I can't do anything about. Don't sweat the small stuff. And sometimes they ask too much. But most of the time all you have to do is get to work on time, try to get along with most of your co-workers and give your employers what they pay you for. It's not really rocket science. As racing fans, all we have to do every week is to enjoy the racing and all that comes with it. Just be thankful that you don't have to make all the rules, and contend with the fallout. If I ran NASCAR, I would probably do just what Brian France is doing these days. Stressing, juggling, trying to make everyone happy. And in the end, after dissecting every problem and issue from every angle, I would offer my solutions and say, It's this way, or the highway (or in this case, the highway leading AWAY from the speedways!) You can't make everyone happy, so you have to put it out there and let the chips fall where they may. So let's just enjoy the racing, and don't sweat the small stuff.

Oct. 5, 2007: It was bound to happen, sooner or later. We've dodged raindrops at Kansas before, but this time the weather was not to be denied. And the storm swirling around Kansas Speedway was mild compared to the havoc it created INSIDE the speedway. When that last caution came out, and Greg Biffle was leading, I just assumed he had won. Sometimes when you're at the track, it's hard to know exactly what's going on. I didn't realize the controversy over The Biff not crossing the finish line first. All I knew is that for the third year in a row, we got screwed concerning a victory celebration. Mark Martin said he was "old school" after his victory, drove very slowly to Victory Lane, lame! Tony Stewart ran out of gas last year, couldn't do his signature climb up the fence. The Biff made some half ass effort to celebrate his "win", claims he got stuck in the grass, but was he out of gas? Apparently NASCAR thought he had maintained a fast enough speed under caution, but it was a dubious decision at best. I'm honestly glad they got the race started again, not only because Jeff was stuck in 30th, but because I want to see racing! You have to applaud the track and it's jet dryers. Many people left, and I was sure that they wouldn't restart the race after the 2nd rain delay. NASCAR toughed it out though, along with 75% of us crazy Kansas fans. Lights would have been nice. Maybe next year? They are there, apparently just not hooked up. I really don't like to complain, because I appreciate the fact that we even have a race at Kansas. But I want to see the whole race. I really wanted to see a green-white-checkered. What do you want to bet that The Biff would have ran out of gas? People just assumed that Clint Bowyer would have won, but my Dad thinks Jimmie had the fastest car. And I agree with him. Heck, Jeff might even of won. It didn't really seem that dark at the track, but like I said, sometimes when you are there, things aren't always what they seem. Jimmie and Clint were talking that they couldn't see, in hindsight they probably wish they would have kept their mouths shut! Now it's on to Talladega. Talk about an equalizer! This race will probably shake up the Chase just as much as Kansas did. They are talking about running 3, 4, 5 wide, 43 strong, the whole 188 laps. Denny Hamlin had to sit out Happy Hour because of his aggressive bump drafting in the corners during the first practice. Also, the visibility of the COT is in question. Oh great, running inches apart, at 195 mph, with 42 other cars on the track, and a driver can't see! Not only are they having trouble seeing out the back, because of their own wing, but they can't see past the wing in front of them. Just imagine on the freeway when there is a big semi in front of you. You can't really tell what's going on in front of him. And whether you're on I-35, or the backstretch at Talladega, that's just flat dangerous. Championship on the line, less than ideal driving conditions, and throw in a little road rage, it could be a recipe for disaster.

Sept. 28, 2007: The seesters got it going on, don't they? Jimmie, Jeff, Tony, 1, 2, 3. Kathy Beth, Judy Kay, Nascarla. 1, 2, 3. We are so fortunate that we picked such awesome drivers. Or maybe we're smart. And know alot about racing. I've got to say, when I started watching Jeff in 93, I really had no choice but to make him my favorite driver. He had me from hello. Kathy Beth was a rookie in 2001, also the rookie year of Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie ran a Busch car for Herzog, a company from St. Joseph, where Kathy Beth lives. So they were a perfect fit. Nascarla has had many favorite drivers, including Buckshot Jones, Scott Riggs, Dave Blaney, but by far her highest profile favorite driver is Tony Stewart. When Nascarla and I first went to Talladega together, she rooted for Jeff, which is fine with me. She likes Jeff, don't get me wrong, but we're seesters, we share some things, but not our drivers. Racing fans are a funny sort. Most are pretty tolerant of other drivers, and other drivers' fans. When Jimmie wins, I'm happy for Kathy Beth, Pam, Daniel, Sondra, and the legion of 48 fans. But he wins ALL THE TIME. Every time we have a race party, Jimmie wins. You get the 3sisters and the peeps together, Jimmie wins. I'm not so sure Robby Young will hang with us anymore if Jimmie wins at Kansas. But the bottom line is, I WANT JEFF TO WIN. EVERY RACE. That's how we racing fans roll: WE WANT OUR DRIVER TO WIN EVERY RACE. My ex-boyfriend could not stand Jeff Gordon. And it seemed like every time we went to a race, or watched a race, Jeff won. It got to the point that he (the ex) didn't even bother going anymore. I try not to be a sore winner when Jeff wins, try to tone down the celebration a little, because I know everyone else is disappointed that their guy didn't win. Sure, they put on that fake smile, mutter something like "I'm very happy for you" or "We'll get you next time" and skulk away to cry in their beer. Now I'm talking the majority of fans exhibit this politically correct behavior. But there are a few that aren't so civilized. Of course, none in our group. OK, maybe me. Like when one of the Busch Brothers win. I really don't want to see it. I was forced to watch in Texas while Kurt Busch did his god-awful snow angel in the hot Texas sun after his Busch win. It's a good thing the rest of the weekend was so much fun, and really good racing, with Tony's IROC win and Kasey Kahne's Cup victory, or I would have been sorely disappointed in that road trip. Now that the Chase has started, the stakes have gone up. Fans might not be as tolerant. Those whose drivers have made the Chase will be nervous and sick to their stomach most of the last 10 races. Those that didn't make the Chase will be defiant and surly, glad for their driver to play the role of spoiler. Bring on the drama, let the Chase begin. It could get ugly...

August 12, 2007: King of the Road: that's gotta be Kevin Harvick's new nickname. Kevin's got some excellent karma going for him, it will be interesting to see how he does with the Car of Tomorrow, today. I'm listening to "Freeman" sing the National Anthem. Have a little story about "Freeman". Not this particular one, he's seems a little nondescript. Back in the day, when we first started traveling to Talladega, there was a group of guys from Freeman, Missouri that went every year. And they were a frickin' blast. From the plane to the track, my sides hurt from laughing. Our cousin Steve Layton, who always organized the trips, called the collective unit "Freeman". So I'm not really sure who was who. If you've never been to Freeman, let me tell you that the town is so small it makes Wellsville look like a metropolis. How one small town could have so many good looking, funny, race-crazy men is beyond me. And I can guarantee you that Alabama was never the same after they left. We usually stayed at the Birmingham/Homewood exit Holiday Inn, which had a really fun bar called Jitterbugs. On race weekend, the locals would come out in force, this was their time to show the country how hospitable Alabama can be. Great dance music, good food, every once in a while they would have drivers come sign autographs. I always told Nascarla that the local girls would "do laps". Qualify, so to speak. Dressed to the hilt, this was their time to maybe get out of their rut that is Alabama. Not to discount their lives, but I think it would be the same in Kansas, or Tennessee, or Indiana. Can you imagine 150,000 different people coming into your social circle, even if it is only one weekend? Dancing, drinking, all having one thing in common: a race. The Freemans' were charming, fun, and irresistible. Many times we would see a girl come up to one of them and say: "Hey, ya'll remember me from last year?" I saw one girl, a beautiful, slender blonde, wearing, honest to god, a skin tight Budweiser CATSUIT. She lounged at the bar, and the men just flocked to her. But she had a Freeman singled out, who would have thought a good ole boy from Missouri would turn such a pretty head? After a few years, the Freeman's stopped going on the trip, life happened for most of them. Got married, had babies, grew up. But the Freeman's, and our cousin Steve, are probably the main reason that Nascarla and I got so hooked on racing. It's the most fun a person can have, period. Things are the same without the Freeman's, but hey guys, thanks for the memories.

August 4, 2007: I had a really good time watching the Busch Race at Montreal. At first it was kind of boring, those laps are so long! But with ten laps to go, what had been a quiet, orderly race turned into a playground skirmish at recess. A bunch of ornery little boys, screaming and kicking and whining, not really caring who they hit or crashed, out of control. You have the playground bully, Robby Gordon, who took out the new kid in town, Marcus Ambrose. Although I tend to agree that Marcus shouldn't have spun Robby under caution, there was no reason for Robby to take away Marcus' first possible Busch Series win. I can just picture Robby pouting in his car, ignoring the NASCAR officials and his crew chief telling him to go back to 12th place. A bully that blames everyone else for everything else, and refuses to take his punishment. And the new kid in town, handsome, affable, clearly looking like the hapless victim, you want to take him to your bosom and comfort him like the little boy he is. And then, of course, the class clown, Kevin Harvick, who is first to start the trouble, and then watches gleefully in his rear view mirror as havoc ensues behind him. It was very entertaining, and you could tell the crowd loved their NASCAR experience. There's talk that they will not let Robby race at Pocono today. Should NASCAR sit a driver at one level because of an indiscretion at another level? I'm not so sure, although Kevin was sat at the Cup level because of rough driving in the Craftsman Truck Series. Oh, talk about ornery little boys? How about Smoke? NASCAR wanted to wash his mouth out with soap after his cussing following the Brickyard 400. And that was after a win! Supposedly ESPN and Tony are feudin' after a ESPN writer (obviously the goody two-shoes of the class) referred to Tony as "not a good role model for kids" after Tony declared he was going to go home and celebrate his Chicago win by drinking a case of beer. (Sounds like my kind of bad boy!) That has to be one of the most hypocritical things I've ever heard in this sport. ESPN owes it's very existence to beer. Their target demographic is all about beer. Their advertisers, that pay the bills, and have for years, are all about beer. You think they would have embraced Tony's declaration of his celebration plans. I think ESPN owes an apology to Tony, and their beer advertisers. "Sorry, we are talking out of both sides of our mouth. Please keep those checks coming." Ridiculous. Oh, by the way. Don't count out the 48 team. Just when you think they are down and out...they are the best at overcoming adversity. Chad's absence has clearly hurt them this time around, this might be a good wake up call for "Cheatin' Chad". (Sorry Kathy Beth and Pam). I know that he's not the only one that bends the rules, he's the sneaky little boy that always gets caught. Not to forget that Steve Letarte, Jeff's crew chief is also suspended, but he's young, probably more of a follower than a leader. Speaking of Jeff, on the playground he would be BMOC. Just like he is at the track.

July 21, 2007: Well, these past few weeks we have been without Judy Kay's insights to the upcoming race - her hard-drive bought the farm, so to speak... She sent this paragraph Friday, keep it up Judy, anything is better than nothing!
I've been reading about Kyle Busch whining about being dissed by his teammates. Apparently Kyle wanted them to draft with him at the Pepsi 400 in Daytona, but Jeff, Casey and Jimmie decided to run the outside instead. Which might have been a mistake, because those three lost alot of track position, and eventually did have to jump to the inside. Kyle says that they purposely hung him out to dry, although Kyle was the strongest Hendrick car all day. I know why his teammates stayed away from him, HE DRIVES LIKE A MANIAC! I know he's a talented driver that can pretty much write his own ticket in the Cup Series, but geez! I spent the last 20 laps of that race literally cringing everytime` Jeff would get close to Kyle. There's a fine line between reckless and downright dangerous. I know, at the superspeedways, running inches apart, 3 and 4 wide is the norm. It only takes a slight hiccup from the most seasoned of drivers to set "The Big One" in motion. And to have some snot-nosed whippersnapper at the front of the pack driving like he's a bully at some go-cart track, everyone else is going to think twice about drafting with him. There's a reason drivers don't draft with Junior, he'll beat them at their own game. The reason they don't draft with Kyle is because he's out of control.

June 23, 2007: OK, we're in wine country this week, let the whining begin! The Hendrick Haters have a lot to whine about this week, seeing how Hendrick's stars Jeff and Jimmie, were not even allowed to qualify because of Car of Tomorrow infractions. OK seriously, you put these two drivers on a lawnmower and they would be competitive. Jeff is a four time champion, and Jimmie (the defending champion) and Chad are probably the best driver/crew chief combination in Nextel Cup. Or all of auto racing, for that matter. It will be interesting to see what kind of penalties NASCAR gives out, but apparently they are going to let the crew chiefs on the track Sunday. Remember, at Daytona, when Chad was suspended, they didn't even let him come to the track for the Daytona 500. Rick Hendrick seems to think that the penalty of not being ability to qualify or practice on Friday is enough, but is not naive enough to believe that is all that will happen. To me, NASCAR set a bad precedence by not parking Kurt Busch for his pit road meltdown. That fact that he risked other people's lives should garner a harsher penalty than the Number 8 car got for a COT violation. And Tony Eury Jr., the 8's crew chief, was suspended. It sends a bad message as far as I'm concerned. Heck, Kevin Harvick was parked for rough driving. What do you call Kurt Busch's antics? I know Earnhardt nation must be torn right now. But if you're a true Junior fan, and not just an anti-Gordon fan, or anti-Johnson fan, that you'll want what's best for Junior. And it's got to be a dream come true for Junior. It's got to be hard to walk away from the company that his father founded, but honestly, how much of Senior is still there? Senior is gone, that's the bottom line. Everyone, most of all Junior, wishes Senior was still alive, that he and Jr. were teammates at DEI, eventually Senior passing the torch to his son. But that is never going to happen, so Jr. needs to create his own legacy. And now he has the equipment, teammates, and all around support that he needs. I wish Junior all the best, can you imagine Hendrick's restrictor plate program? It's already the best, and Junior is one of the best driving in the draft. Guess there won't be too many beer cans thrown if a Hendrick teammate wins at Talladega now? Of course, some of those fans arrested were Jimmie Johnson fans, but I've already told you all about their fanaticism. That Busch race last night at Milwaukee, Denny Hamlin's crew chief David Rogers said it best: "Bittersweet". Aric Almirola qualified on the pole in the 20 car, and Denny, late arriving from Sonoma, got in too late, so wasn't credited with the win. But what a drive to the front! He was passing cars like they were literally standing still. I think it would have been fun watching him and Carl race, but Carl had a flat tire that basically took him out of contention. He also took his car to the front, fast, but ran out of laps. I'm curious if Aric could have won in that car. I'm going to say no. Not to dog on his talent, but he doesn't have the experience that Denny has. And that's funny to say, seeing how Denny has just recently, within the last 3 years, raced at this level. But Denny and Carl's dirt track experience showed last night. They were passing on the outside, inside, squeezing through any hole they could find. I really think Denny is probably a better driver than Carl, sorry, local fans. He seems smoother, more confident, less reckless. That's just this seester's opinion. I'm really looking forward today, to watch Jeff try to get to the front. He stated it, and it's true, pit strategy will play a big part in this race. And the 24 team has been pretty good at that this year. Jimmie's been bitten a few times, Kathy Beth thought he pitted too early last week, and she was proved correct. It just goes to show you how it takes a perfect combination of luck, strategy, talent, horsepower and teamwork for any given driver to win on any given Sunday.

June 17, 2007: Yesterday, I went to Wal-Mart for my weekly shopping. Let me tell you, single girls, Father's Day weekend is a great time to go shopping, if you're looking for a man. A divorced man. With kids. They are almost guaranteed to have them this particular weekend in June. You can tell the fathers that are on their own: buying everything the kids want, looking uncomfortable in general being the primary parent, even for one weekend. It's very sad, but a fact of life. I was going to say a sign of the times, but some of us were a product of divorce even before it was so prevalent. I really never knew my dad, Mom and he divorced when I was just born. Throughout the years, we had minimal contact. Fortunately, my seesters and I had two good male role models: Uncle Sherman and Old Uncle Sherman. My Dad has recently come back into my life, and it's wonderful. And he is the biggest race fan, ever. It's obvious the 3sisters come by our passion naturally. Dad was a truck driver, and he's been to every state in the US, except Maine and Hawaii, I think. And he made a point to go to the races, any race, wherever he could. From Superspeedways to the small county fair dirt tracks, he's seen them all. Don't ever compete with him in a NASCAR Trivia game, because he would flat out win. It's kind of ironic that my Dad's racing career was one of the reasons for his and Mom's divorce. Women either understand the racing passion, or they don't. Of course, when you have 3 little babies at home, and your husband is spending all the money on a car, you might get a little irritated. But know that I know racing, and racers, I realize that they can't help it. Right or wrong, it's an itch they have to scratch. When I first got serious about racing in the early 90s, Mom was very supportive. You would have never known that she could have easily been bitter about racing in general, because of the problems it had caused in her young marriage. But she loved it, she loved Jeff Gordon, and Mark Martin. She would sit there and watch the first 10 laps with me, take a nap, and I would wake her for the last ten laps. Of course, being a fan is different then actually living the life of a driver, and driver's wife. I see it out at Lakeside, the men are like magnets to women, sometimes I wonder how the wives stand it. Some men are dogs anyway, and when they are getting all that attention that comes with driving a race car, well...let's just say it would turn most men's (or women's) heads. As a wife, you have to be very tolerant, stand by your man, but don't let him step on you. I'm not sure it's a life I would like to lead. Junior finally announced his intentions, and I couldn't be happier. Talk about a dream team, or dreamy team. Jeff, Jr., Jimmie and Casey. Kyle Busch never did seem to fit in with that group. Frankly, I don't think Rick Hendrick needed the baggage that came with Kyle. Just like his brother, Kurt, they are so talented. But there are too many drivers out there that are just as talented, without the down side. Like Junior. The worst think Junior ever did was say **** on the television. Compared with the Busch Brothers antics (running crew members down on pit road, leaving the track before the race is over, off-the track troubles with the law) who needs it? Jack Rousch decided he didn't, and so apparently did Rick Hendrick. Junior Nation is going to have to suck it up, and deal with having Jeff as a teammate. Really, who everyone needs to feel empathy for is the Jeff Gordon fans. Not only do we had to grin and bear the fanatical Jimmie fans (and trust me, they are!) but now we have to share the driver's spotlight with the Most Popular Driver in NASCAR. That's OK, there is room in this fan's heart for Junior.

June 9, 2007: What an incredible feat that was, a filly named Rags to Riches winning the Belmont Stakes. The longest, grueling leg of the Triple Crown is for the stayers, no sprinters need apply. And for the two horses, the filly and Preakness winner Curlin, to have enough left to duel stride for stride to the wire, was truly a finish for the ages. It wasn't the fastest Belmont ever run, or even close to it. But it was one of the most exciting. It is so difficult for the girls to compete with the boys. Can you imagine a woman beating a man in a foot race? Just like humans, equine males have larger muscles, longer limbs, broader chests. All crucial elements for a race horse. Every once in a while, a filly will surprise the field with a win against the boys, but not the Belmont. A mile and a half, you're not going to sneak up on anyone. And it's not like every other horse fell off the pace and she was the last one running. She had enough left to kick it at the end. That filly has lots of heart. In auto racing, most of the girls have a decided disadvantage to start with. After all, they're girls! Not to be taken serious, by sponsors, team owners or fans. But every once in awhile, they'll get a shot, and there is no reason they can't win. Given the right equipment, and support. Did you see Danica push Dan Wheldon last week after the Indy Race? He's probably the best driver in that series, and she has yet to prove herself with a win. But she didn't hesitate to let him know that she would not be intimidated by him, or any other driver. Of course, many people think that she's being a bad sport, just because she was a bit aggressive. That it was a temper tantrum. A kinder, gentler Danica is probably what would be more politically correct, that's just not her. Women have to use every asset they have in order to be competitive with the men, just because they start out at a disadvantage because of their physical inferiority to the men. For Rags to Riches, her breeding is impeccable, her physical attributes are superior for her gender, and she obviously has a will to win. The boys were beaten yesterday, not soundly, but still, you go girl! Last week's win by Martin Truex, Jr. was so important for DEI, and Martin, and particularly Teresa. In order for her to be taken seriously, she needed to prove that she has the elements in place to be competitive. Sr. obviously had a lot of faith in her ability, to leave her his company. And being on the opposite side of any dispute with Jr., again, she started out at a decided disadvantage. It's too bad that everyone just couldn't get along, but sometimes you have to pick your battles. Some are just not winnable, so you have to cut your losses and move on. It might be best for all concerned, Jr. leaving. I think he's a good enough driver to make it in a top team, he's fearless yet not reckless. He can control himself, unlike the Busch brothers. I believe he and Teresa both are class acts, but it would be interesting to be at their next family reunion!

June 3, 2007: I have a T-shirt that says: "You Can't Pass What You Can't Catch". A Chevrolet shirt. That's been Ford, and Dodge, and particularly Toyota's, dilemma this year. Chevy has spent most of this year, hell, most years, with the other makes fading in their rear view mirror. Jack Rousch was honest in saying that they are far behind the bowtie in terms of the Car of Tomorrow. Dodge is still fighting the nose of their Charger, Ford has only one win this year with Matt Kenseth, and Toyota is lucky to make most races. I was raised with muscle cars, and most of them were Chevys. Their engines, 307, 327, 396 and 454 engines dominated the street races in my hometown. Dodge had their Challengers and Chargers and SuperBees, Ford had the Mustang, and Toyota wasn't even a blip on the radar. My first husband of 13 years was a mechanic, and he grumbled when anyone bought a Ford to the shop. My ex-boyfriend of 13 years was also a mechanic. He told me the story of working on a friend's Fords, was pushing into the garage one day to fix it, looked down, and saw a bumper sticker that said "I'd Rather Push a Ford Than Drive a Chevy". So he called the guy and said "well you come push this Ford into the shop!" The slight on Ford is that it's hard to work on them. They're just engineered screwy. Things are hard to get to, and they say if you can find a good Ford mechanic, keep him, 'cause you're going to need 'em. I can't imagine it's going to be very long before NASCAR tries to even the playing field by putting some restrictions on Chevy. They have a new engine that is performing very well. They have won 10 out of 13 races this year, Chevy has 7 of the top 10 racers in the standings. To say they are dominating is an understatement. It's amazing that Hendrick Motorsports has come so far in their engine program, given the fact that they lost the core players in the plane crash at Martinsville in 2005. Anyone that is anybody in NASCAR runs a Hendrick engine. Or at least a Chevy. Everyone says it's the teams that make a difference. That is true in my opinion, the teams that win are the ones that use Chevrolets! Carl Edwards did win the Busch race last night, in his Ford, in rather dominating fashion. I really think Denny Hamlin has a great chance to win today, he's been running strong all year, problems in the pits have been his downfall. Can you imagine Jr. going to Gibbs? Tony, Jr., Denny? That may rival Hendrick. Oh, and guess what? There all driving Chevys.

May 26, 2007: The Busch Brothers make no sense. I'm not talking about the way they crashed each other last Saturday night: they both should share the blame. Kyle couldn't keep from being aggressive, and Kurt wasn't going to give him anything. It just that I can't understand a word they say! Some of Kurt Busch's comments: "The initial discussion was over who was giving it and who was taking it," Kurt said. "Over the course of that discussion, I think he got the sense of realization that he's been driving a percentage point or two too high of late." Huh? I think Kurt tries to articulate above his own head, and Kyle has no tact to go with his dialogue. Maybe conversations are different out in Las Vegas: vague, wandering, absolutely baffling. At least from my perspective. At the local level, our driver Terry Bivins won his heat race last night at Lakeside, then had to go to the back in the feature, where he was caught up in a multi-car crash. Winning the heat race is an indication of what is to come, trust me. Nothing can keep this driver down. The car was pretty much demolished, from what Nascarla said. But what do you want to bet that it will be ready next Friday night? At the Cup level, looks like Clint Bowyer crashed in practice. Clint said the car was "possessed", bound to hit the wall. So now he gets to go to a back up, maybe it won't have to be "exorcised". On the Jr. side, there was some talk about Kyle Busch being a little dispensable at Hendrick. Mostly because of his attitude, not his driving ability. Has Kyle ever heard the saying "biting off your nose to spite your face"? Trashing the Car of Tomorrow, after a win, in front of the car owner, was not good track etiquette. Nor was leaving the facility after crashing, while the crew was still working on your car. Nor is being out of control, on the track, off the track. I'm sure his maturity will kick in sooner or later, but in his case, it might be too late. Any upstart owner would give their eye teeth to have a driver like Kyle Busch, but Rick Hendrick really doesn't need that particular headache. And to be able to slide Jr. in, with sponsor intact, fan base intact, the best engine and chassis program in NASCAR, it could be a win/win situation for Hendrick, and Jr., and NASCAR. And the fans. Kyle has politely declined any interviews, you can tell he's fuming. I've had many issues with my seesters, the least have been who backs the best driver. I can't imagine being on a track with 2sisters, with 1-1/2 tons of vehicle, deciding who was right. Kathy Beth always brings it, she's never been shy about knowing when she's right. Nascarla is more subtle, gives you a look that says "I know I'm right, you're wrong, don't mess with me." I was always the peacemaker, at least that is what Mom and Grandma always said. Let me give you an indication of our personalities. One hot summer day, the three of us were at Grandma Layton's, she took care of us when Mom was at work. There was an old barn north of Grandma's that we used to play in. That day, we actually started a fire in the barn, I think, the memory is really fuzzy. All I remember is me sitting on the back porch of Grandma's, spilling my guts to Grandma about everything we had done wrong. When Carla and Kathy got back to the house, we all three got into big trouble, were sent to our rooms to contemplate our behavior. Carla was petulant, Kathy was pissed, and I was a narc. In NASCAR terms, Carla would be Kyle Busch, Kathy would be Kurt Busch, and I would be the lame ass that didn't make the race because I was sitting on the porch bawling. Good luck to Jeff tomorrow, the drive for five is in full gear. I did hear that maybe he'll have someone else drive from him if Ingrid goes in to labor during a race. Apparently he has a big enough points lead that if the Golden Child should arrive during a race, he can help deliver it and hold on the the Championship lead at the same time. He is Superman, isn't he?

May 19, 2007: Let's go, boys. Last year, I really thought I would have a boyfriend by now, so I bought two Busch & Cup tickets. We sit down by the start/finish line, 14 strong, nothing is more fun than hangin' with the 3sisters for the Big Weekend. We tailgate, shop, have OJ & brandy for breakfast, lots of food & fun, hang around the Woodlands for three full days. Is there anyone out there that wants to share our experience? Please send a picture of your bad self, & in 50 words or less, why you want to go to the big race with the Seesters. Send this to jklewis@mokancomm.net. This isn't really prostituting myself, is it? I want a guy that likes to have fun, & loves racing. I have some criteria that might concern you: You can't hate Jeff Gordon. I love Jeff Gordon: his looks, his racing ability, he is a class act that everyone should respect. I know that I will never have him in the biblical sense, but that's OK. Jeff is fixing to be a father with that Ingrid chick, I accept that, & wish them all the best. You have to have good teeth, sorry, but a beautiful smile is very important to me. Hopefully, your six pack is exactly that: no twelve pack, or keg for that matter. Remember, this is a big deal. A Busch/Cup ticket is like gold for most race fans. Even if I'm not your favorite seester, I have alot to offer. I have my own house, with 5 acres of land. I have a deck, where we can look out over 500 acres of the most beautiful scenery in Eastern Kansas. I have a good job, my own car, and a 24/48 lawnmower that kicks butt. What else could a man ask for? I'm not looking for a commitment, I'm looking for some one that wants to have fun. Last year, we gave an RPM ticket away to the winner of the Fantasy game at the Daytona Watch Party. It seemed the guy that won had fun with us at the Truck/IRL race, but he didn't show up at the Busch/Nextel Cup race. We won't waste that again. So be honest, & let me know why you want to hang with the Seesters. I'm not really impressed with the Nextel All Star race format. They really needed to have more laps than twenty for each segment. Jeff had a loose left wheel, who knows if he would have had anything for Harvick or Johnson. I told Nascarla I hope this doesn't mean that Jeff's karma has run out. I'm such a pessimist, really I don't want to be. It seems I'm always cringing, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Jeff is leading the points, has won 3 races this year, I guess if he has bad luck, it might as well be in a race where points don't matter. I was glad to see Kevin Harvick win, he is a racer that runs wide open most of the time, & doesn't seem to care what anyone thinks of his tactics. Jimmie Johnson tried to go wide, couldn't do it, tried underneath, couldn't do it. Charlotte is fun, it's fast, and the tires go away so fast that you have to be out front in clean air to dominate. That's why Jimmie couldn't catch Kevin. Next week, with 600 laps, the finish might be different. Jimmie is a stalker, Jeff makes every pit stop count, and Matt really needs to catch a break. Tony's car keeps getting better with each stop, he will be a driver that everyone has to contend with at the end of 600 laps. I'm not sure what's going on with Kasey Kahne. How could such a dominate driver in 2006 have nothing for the competition in 2007? Where is Junior going to go? Hendrick? That would be cool. DEI has merged their engine program with Childress, did Junior know that before he decided to leave? The Dave Despain program of last week had a lot of fuel for thought. Who was the best driver: Dale, Sr. or Jeff Gordon? My Dad, who has been watching NASCAR for years, thinks Rusty Wallace was scared of Dale Sr. That's why he pumped up Senior for the best driver. It's like apples & oranges: Jeff was at his zenith while Dale Sr. was in the twilight of his career when they raced. Dale Sr. won two races in the last five years before his death. Talladega & Daytona. If Jeff & Dale would have raced in the late eighties & early nineties, it would have been the two best racers in NASCAR history, going wheel to wheel. Richard Petty won 200 races, but he had no one that was really at his level. Can you imagine, Richard, Jeff & Dale, Sr. racing together? We could only be so lucky.

May 12, 2007: I have a real problem with Teresa Earnhardt. On the radio they're calling her the "Yoko Ono" of NASCAR. If she really wants to continue Dale Sr.'s vision for DEI, it most certainly should include his son, his namesake! Kathy and I have been to DEI, then took a trip north on Highway 3 to Kannapolis, Sr's (and Jr's) hometown. Hallowed ground for all race fans, to be sure. If Jr. leaves, DEI will be only a museum, a tribute to the past, with no future. Sure, she's got Martin Truex, who probably is only there because he's under contract, I'm sure he would rather follow Jr. if he could. And she can trot out some fresh young face from a development program, or some veteran whose better days are behind him, but why? She had all she could ask for as a Nextel Cup/Busch team owner: the most high profile driver in the sport whose won 17 Cup races, 4 Busch Championships between Jr. & Martin; a sponsor whose deep pockets any team owner would envy; & a name synonomous with winning at the highest level of auto racing. Whether it was lack of knowledge, or jealousy over the first wife's children getting their father's legacy, she didn't, according to Jr., give the teams the tools to compete for wins, let alone championships. DEI has won 2 races since 2004, not exactly on par with the "elite" teams. If Sr were still alive, you can bet he would throw everything needed for his company to be competitive. And if for some reason he couldn't, he would probably be the first one to say to Junior: "go see what's out there for you." Teresa said that she was calling Junior's bluff, that was very unprofessional. There would be no reason to do that, putting another obstacle in their path as an organization, and as a family. I think both Kelley and Junior have been the more mature parties here. You know that they are thinking: "Who does she think she is?" I 've been a stepmother, so I have some validity in saying that the children (even adult children) should come first. Let me say right this - that it's a thankless job, being a stepparent. There is no middle ground: your opinion or reasoning in a particular situation is almost never shared by the biological parents or the children. If you take the kids side, you don't have any business expressing your opinion, you are not their mother. Take the parent's side the kids don't listen, you're not their mother! It's a lose, lose situation. I've heard Senior left no will, but clearly wanted his children to carry on his legacy. Wasn't very smart on his part, he was a race car driver, every time he got in a car could be his last. And that afternoon in February 2001, it was. The fact that he was blocking for his teammate and son, when he hit the wall should be an indication to Teresa where he thought the future of DEI rested. On Junior's shoulders. She should go ahead & give Junior & Kelley majority ownership, stay on as a shareholder, & move on. Junior going to Richard Childress, and driving the 3 car, would be a great scenario. So would going to Hendrick, although all four of their drivers are under contract. Wouldn't that be a hoot, Jr. & Jeff on the same team? Earnhardt fans would be torn about their feelings for Jeff. Although it's absolutely incredible to me that many fans can't see the respect both Jr. & Sr. had & have, for Jeff, and vice versa. But if Jr. wants to win, Hendrick, Gibbs & RCR are the logical choices. How exciting is it for Junior, although maybe bittersweet, to have so many choices for his racing future? Kathy Beth mentioned how hard it is to drive & own your own team, I'm not sure that even Junior can pull that off. Now to this week's race at Darlington. Last night's Busch race was chock full of cautions, surely this Saturday Night Cup race will be just the same. The Elton John song, "Saturday Night's alrite for fightin'" Hopefully Clint Bowyer will win from the pole, like Denny Hamlin did last night. It's amazing that these virtual rookies have such a handle on this track. This is one of the tracks that Terry Bivins, 3sisters favorite racer, loves. He said Darlington & Pocono were the tracks where the racing is the most fun, where the driver is the difference. Should make for some interesting drama. Kick in the Earnhardt soap opera, Jeff Gordon leading the points, & the COT, it doesn't get any better for this race fan!

April 29, 2007: You find out who your friends are. Especially at Talladega. Every week, it amazes me how much racing can reflect real life. Last week, the last 10 laps of the Aaron's 499 at Talladega showed that no matter how fast you are, you can't go anywhere unless you have some help. For the previous 20 laps, the cars had been running single file, behind Denny Hamlin, no one wanting to take a chance and step out of line. What if no one goes with me? Some "friends" will hang you out to dry. Most everyone has their own agenda, everyone wants to win. You knew it was only a matter of time before some brave driver decided it was time to move, a change was needed, it was now or never. And how ironic was it that it was the 3sisters favorite drivers, Jimmie, Jeff and Tony, that took a chance and went to the inside? No one can say that those three aren't willing to shake it up, to hell with playing it safe. Kind of like the 3sisters! You can say what you want about us, but never say that we aren't willing to take a chance. Our life experiences have been so broad, because we were never scared about change. Many times we picked the wrong groove to run, but at least we poked our noses out there to test the track. Darrell Waltrip kept saying "This running single file isn't going to last forever." And he was right. With 9 laps to go, Jimmie moved out of line, taking Jeff and Tony with him. Did you hear one of the spotters on the restart: "Here we go!" How exciting was that? Taking a chance resulted in different finishes: Jeff and Jimmie finished first and second, Tony crashed. Again, what a reflection of true life. Choices on who to follow are very important, a true friend and teammate, or sister, won't hang you out to dry. Tony has been pretty vocal this whole season in what he perceives as NASCAR basically playing God, really coming up just short of saying the races are fixed. I think he has some valid concerns. Many times in the past, even the commentators couldn't see the mysterious debris. Tony is selfish, a great driver, but a little selfish. He blames other for his problems, and usually leaves a lot of havoc in his wake. But you have to admire the fact that at least you know where he stands, when he's mad, he's mad; when he's happy, it shows. Jeff called him the "Rosie McDonnell' of NASCAR, and not in regards to his weight. Because Tony was looking hot in that pre-race interview, still has a little bit of a belly, but nice arms! Maybe that distracted me a little from what he was saying, focus Judy, focus. Tony and Bobby's battle in the Busch race was epic, that will be in the highlight reels for years to come. Along with Kyle Busch's crash in the backstretch and subsequent tumble through Turn 3. That poor boy has had a painful season, literally, in both the Cup and Busch series. I don't really like the kid, I think he's a little arrogant, like his brother, but I certainly don't want to see him hurt. It's a good thing he's young, and can take more punishment, but what's happened to him this year will make a driver old, fast. I'd like to crow a little about my driver, Jeff Gordon. It's been a while since I've been able to do that. He is such a complete driver: brave when he needs to be, patient when the circumstances dictate it. He was so gracious, as was Jr., when Jeff tied Sr. for most wins, and when he passed him the next week with 77 wins. In the Scene magazine, it showed one of the fans that was arrested for throwing beer cans after the 24 won under a caution. He had on a Jimmie Johnson shirt! What's up with that? You know, the years I've been a fan of NASCAR, I've seen some pretty fanatical fans. Sr. fans, Jr. fans, really don't have nuthin' on 48 fans. I know, because we have two of the most fanatical fans of Jimmie's: Kathy Beth and the redheaded Stepsister, Pam Hardeman. But I don't think they would go that far...

April 22, 2007: Kyle Busch is a big fat baby. He can make excuses until the cows come home about why he didn't finish the race at Texas last week. 1. He didn't know they were going to fix the car. 2. He was banged up after all the crashes that weekend (hey, you're 21 years old, it's only going to get worse!). 3. He had a secret rendezvous planned with Eva, while brother Kurt was "busy". 4. He had an appointment to get that soul patch painted on, because he was have a hard time growing one. There were any number of reasons why he deserted his team after all their hard work getting the car in shape to get back on the track. But the only one that rings true is he's a selfish little brat that needs a comeuppance. Can you imagine his chagrin when the Most Popular Driver in a brazillion years gets in his car and finishes the race? And is gracious and happy for the opportunity? I thought Kyle was maturing, and I'm sure every incident like this will be a growing experience for him, but he needs to check himself. Sometimes you have to look at a situation from a different perspective: If I step outside this, how am I really perceived by others? Take your own emotions and feelings, put them aside for a moment, and try to see what others see. It can be pretty humbling. And that's just what Kyle Busch needs to do. He crashed again in the Busch race, probably is smarting a little physically and emotionally at this point. Maybe he needs to work on his good karma... That was such good racing between Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer, we've really been treated to some great finishes this year, in all three series. And I think that is due to the tenacity of the drivers, more than the tracks of the cars. NASCAR has done it's best to make everything even, but sometimes at the expense of good racing. The drivers have to really search for ways to win, compete, hell, to even pass at most of the venues! That's why it's good to go watch some good, local racing at a dirt track every once in a while. There's not a lot of parity, but that's OK. Even with the drivers that don't have the means to compete, they usually make up for that with their sheer will. At the Cup, Busch and Truck level, that's not enough to be competitive if you have inferior equipment, facilities and personnel. Terry Bivins, the legendary driver from our hometown of Wellsville, Kansas, had his #53 Grand National "hooked up" last night in the A Main. There was a huge crash in turn 4 during the 1st lap, and Terry was clipped in the rear, just enough to flatten his tire. The race was red flagged, and his went into the pits to change the tire. And they wouldn't let him come back out. A frickin' flat tire! Sorry Lakeside, but that's a stupid rule. He didn't care if he had to restart shotgun on the field. All that time and money spent, and a flat tire parks you for the night. We have our own Junior at Lakeside, the #81 Jr. car of Danny Charles, whose coming into his own and out of the shadow of his father, former Lakeside Modified Champion Tom Charles. Danny led most of the race, with #98 John Allen stalking. John Allen took the lead on the last lap, going inside on the final turn, and it was a drag race to the checkered, with Danny putting his nose in front at the line. It was the season opener for Lakeside, after being postponed for two weeks. I wasn't sure Nascarla was going to survive that delay, she lives for those Friday nights. Next weekend will be the Kansas IRL and Truck race, Lakeside Friday AND Saturday night, and the Busch and Cup boys are running at Talladega. So many races, so little time!

April 14, 2007: "My name is Juan Pablo Montoya. I am a race car driver. Move over, and prepare to lose." OK, that's a little improv based on the dialogue from "The Princess Bride." Man, is that guy fun to watch. He's ain't skeered of nothin'! I wonder if he knows what "skeered" means? Doesn't appear so. He runs on the outside of Texas Motor Speedway, where the G forces have forced open wheel races to be canceled. When they interviewed Marcus Ambrose and Juan Montoya after their little altercation late in the Busch race, you realize that this isn't the NASCAR of old. Two international superstar racers mixing it up with the good 'ole Southern boys. It's so funny to listen to Larry McReynolds trying to say some of these guys names, Juan Pablo Montoya just doesn't seem to roll off his tongue. I'm convinced that he will win at the Cup level, soon. His learning curve seems to be accelerated, whether it's because of his own talent and experience or the fact that Chip Gannassi's whole stable is starting to gel. Maybe it's a combination of both. I just know it's a lot of fun to watch. Also, alot of fun for me, is that fact that JEFF GORDON IS LEADING THE POINTS! This is the first time in a long time that I've been in this position, able to be a little smug about my driver's position. Although, true to my worrywart self, I'm ready for the other shoe to drop. He needs to win a race, and his confidence, and mine, would be bolstered by a win at this particular track, Texas. He's yet to win here, in fact, Ford seems to be pretty dominate at this track, Rousch in particular. Matt won the Busch race yesterday, and he's won here before at the Cup level. We met our Oklahoma peeps, Tina and Rusty, last year at Texas, and now we all hang together every chance we get. They got to watch Kasey Kahne win in his Dodge last year. But this year, Kasey would have had to qualify on time just to get in the race. Thankfully, for Everham, because Scott Riggs is in the same position, qualifying was rained out and the first 43 drivers in owner points will start the race. Some people in the know say it's because of the Dodge's new nose, but not all the Dodge camps are struggling like Everham. Meeting Rusty and Tina was not the only good thing that came out of our Spring Texas trip last year. As usual, we had the time of our lives. Well, every trip we take to the track is "The Best Day of My Life". When you come back from a trip with your stomach hurting, not because of the hot Texas chili, or the numerous cups of bad coffee, but because you've laughed so hard that you've pulled a muscle, now that's a good road trip. Granted, there are probably some things we shouldn't talk about: religion, politics, work. But we are, after all, mature adults that are able to put our differences aside and concentrate on more important things: racing and having fun. Watching Tony win the IROC race was some of the most exciting racing I've every witnessed. It's a shame that series has been floundering without a sponsor. Some think that is where NASCAR is headed, with the Car of Tomorrow. That each car will be the same, not really stock car racing. But I say if the racing is half as good as IROC, or even the first two races at Bristol and Martinsville where the COT was used, we're all in for a treat. Granted, there wasn't much short track banging and bumping during the two races, but both finishes were exciting and clean. I really think both Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon were trying to think of the big picture, the points, when making their decisions about how hard to push Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Plus, having the heavier, wider car, neither was sure that a bump and run would even work. But I can pretty much guarantee, once the drivers are more comfortable with the new car, they won't be so content with running second. It's just not in them to be THAT patient.

March 30, 2007: Have you seen this week's Power Rankings at nascar.com? Ryan Smithson no longer writes them, in fact I'm not even sure he still works for the site. Duane Cross writes them now, and I am really enjoying them. I have a few for him: "The cream always rises to the top". Jeff's is first in the standings, and he comes into Martinsville with 7 previous wins. I wonder why cream is better than milk? I guess it's richer, like Jeff. "He's still Bob Thompson." (OK, this is a Judyism that not everyone will understand.) But if you insert the name "He's still Kyle Busch", maybe it makes more sense. Actually, you could put his brother's name in there also, in my opinion. You can give them fast cars, put beautiful women on their arm, cool sunglasses, but they are still the Busch brothers. "Life's too short to hunt with an ugly dog." Personally, I don't think there is such thing as an ugly dog, and I'm not sure that makes a difference whether he can hunt or not. I guess it means that if you're going to spend so much time with someone, they might as well be handsome/pretty. Again, insert the Busch Brothers. "Still waters run deep." There are a few drivers that come to mind, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne. Although Dale Jarrett wasn't too happy with Matt at Bristol, he claims despite Matt's cool demeanor, he's a rough driver. Hey Dale, it's Bristol. You should be used to getting shoved around by now. That's what happens when you run in the back of the pack. I'm not sure if Kasey is deep or shallow, doesn't really matter, he's cute enough to make up for any character flaws. "Only thing from talkers is sound." Michael Waltrip comes to mind. He talks a good game, but has only made one race this year. There is a reason we've always called him Michael "Wrecking" Waltrip. Of course, you have to get on the track to wreck. Maybe a more appropriate quote for Michael would be: "Get while the getting's good." Or maybe Toyota and NAPA should follow that advice. I have no doubt that Toyota will be successful in Nextel Cup, but I don't know if some of the owners/drivers will survive the initial growing pains. "What goes around, comes around." Or is it: "what comes around, goes around?" Either way, every week there are rivalries on the track that piques everyone's interest for the next week. The drivers are very good playing their roles, stirring the pot with their big old spoons. Jimmie and Tony's little skirmish at Atlanta got all sorts of air time, on Jimmie and Tony's radio shows. "You flipped me the bird!" "Did not." "Did too." "Oh, grow up!" That's telling 'em. Maybe the quote for this week's race should be "I'm pedaling as fast as I can." That is for the teams that are not in the top 35, and have to qualify on speed now each week. They are now going by this year's owners points, which seems a little more fair than last year's points. This way the 43 fastest cars are on the track for that particular race. This is a fun short track, I really would like to go there sometime. Hopefully we can go to a race there before it's dumped from NASCAR's schedule. We never made it to Rockingham, which was a shame. Unfortunately for Martinsville, NASCAR usually sets it's schedule based on the old adage: "Change is inevitable."

March 24, 2007: What a difference a year makes. Last year, at Bristol, we were forced to watch the birth of Kurt Busch's signature celebration: the Snow Angel. Today, it's suppose to be close to 80 degrees in Tennessee, so if he wins, maybe he'll spare us. Tina and Rusty are at Bristol, what a great weekend to be enjoying their favorite past time. They'll be unveiling the Car of Tomorrow, today, much anticipated since 2001. I say 2001 because of Dale Earnhardt Senior's death was the catalyst behind all the new safety features, and the Car of Tomorrow is NASCAR's biggest, and most expensive, investment in safety. So that can only be good, although the cars look at little funny with their wing and clunky greenhouse. During practice yesterday, it was mentioned that no COT spun in Nextel Cup qualifying or practice, 2 sessions. That is unheard of at Bristol, but it looked to me like each one was on the edge of being out of control. That should really benefit the brave drivers, like Kyle Busch and Tony, who like being on the edge of crashing. And of course, Jeff, who got the pole, he is the absolutely best all-around driver, he takes every change NASCAR throws at him, and adapts. And usually successfully. Saturn is in retrograde right now, will become direct on April 19, 2007. It is the time for major life changes, and also a time for the implications of those changes to manifest themselves. It's ironic that NASCAR would introduce the new car during this period, I wonder if Mike Helton consults Kajama before making any decisions. If not, maybe he should consider it... It's amazing how Jimmie Johnson is so, well, I'll say it, dominate. There is no way around it, he is the favorite at every track, except maybe the road courses, but he says that is his goal for this year, to win at a road course. And I don't doubt that he will, maybe not this year, but soon. I was glad to see Carl Edwards back in Victory Lane at Bristol yesterday during the Busch Race. But ABC had to cut the broadcast short, so we weren't able to see his backflip. I think they had to leave racing to cut to, what, synchronized swimming? When it was clear Carl had a really good short to win, we are all anticipating the backflip. And you could tell he was trying to hurry, Carl said on the radio that he was going to do a backflip. Surely ABC, which owns ESPN, could have shown one of the most popular drivers doing his most popular celebration, that would have shown how much ABC is interested in making racing a priority for it's network and affiliates. It's what the fans wanted to see, they needed to make that call. Well, if Kurt Busch wins today, maybe we'll get lucky and FOX will cut off his celebration. And don't forget about Matt Kenseth, he won the last 2 fall races here at Bristol. There are so many drivers that are competitive at this short track: Jeff, Matt, Jimmie, Tony, Jr., Kevin, Kurt, and now Carl. So I'll pick Jeff to win today because 1) he's got the pole 2) he's won here numerous times and 3) I love him.

March 18, 2007: Pardon me while I talk basketball for a minute. I, unlike SOME people (Joe) can multitask when it comes to sports. NASCAR is my first and foremost priority, it's in my blood, it's saving my sanity right now, as I write this. But we need to embrace this time, because it doesn't come along very often. I'm talking about the 'Hawks run in the tournament. If it ends today (please, please, please don't let that happen) we still have been able to have that excitement of the possibility, of maybe, out of the hundreds of college teams in the country, ours is the best. In any sport, you have to grab that feeling any chance you get, because only one team gets to experience it each year. That's one great thing about NASCAR, or racing in general. You pick your favorite driver, and the euphoria when he wins can be felt, legitimately, each race. When Jeff won 13 races in 1998, that might have been the best year of my life. I was on a NASCAR high for literally the whole season. And to top it off with a championship, it was a year that went beyond anyone's expectations. When we were growing up in Wellsville, our school, the Wellsville Eagles, had three sports: football, basketball, track. During my junior and senior high years our football team was so strong, every year we were competitive, many times going to the state playoffs. But basketball was king. There might be some people who will argue with me about that, but that is my feeling. Wellsville's got like 5 basketball championships for the men, and a couple for the women. It felt like the whole town would fill that tiny gym on game nights, and the electricity was magic. In the early 70s, Denny Dwyer and Branden Otto were two important members of champion-caliber teams. Denny was quick and agile, and Branden was smooth and sure. Their confidence (OK, and cockiness) made you believe that we would win every game. I think that was where I developed my attraction to the smaller men (Jeff Gordon). Not that I don't love a big, bruising center who can dominate by sheer force. I always had a huge crush on Brad Wright, who was like 5'6 and 120 pounds soaking wet (like Jeff Gordon). He would stalk the outside perimeter of the court, and let fly what would now be 3 pointers, at will. He was like all-conference, all-state, league leading scorer his senior year. It's just amazing how a sports can bind people together. I wasn't into football when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, (I'm not that old!), but I love baseball, and I was able to be a part of the Royals Championship in 1985, and lived and died with the Minnesota Twins during their 1987 and 1991 World Series. And a team, like the Royals, the Twins, and maybe the Hawks, on perhaps a date with destiny, can give people hope and joy, for just a little while. Last night, in the Busch race, the tire seemed to be a real concern. Goodyear says once more rubber gets down on the track, it will have more grip. It's a good thing they have safer barriers here, with the speed and bad tires....that doesn't bode well for a driver's safety. We could see a crash fest just like Las Vegas. Atlanta has also had some of the best finishes in recent memory, it probably should be one of the tracks that 3sisters and peeps need to attend. I'm very excited about the fact that Jeff is in 2nd place in the points, he's been, like Brad, stalking the outside of the perimeter of the points standings, there at the end of every race so far, subtle and strong. Whew, I better go, I need to go collect myself before I start what could be a great day in a fan's life. And that's the best reason to be a sports fan.

March 11, 2007: Racing is a perfect analogy to life. Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug. And at 200 miles an hour, that windshield comes up fast. And it hurts. You just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and go on. (Of course, that's difficult to do when you're smashed flat on some man's windshield!) And sometimes people will surprise you. Just when you think you got them figured out... Kyle Busch surprised me yesterday in the Busch Race. After crashing trying to hold Jeff Burton off for the win at Las Vegas, he got out of the car, and I thought he was pissed. But Jeff Burton sought him out to see if everything was OK, and Kurt gave him a high five. He showed real sportsmanship, because although it might have been a good, fun win for Jeff, Kurt had to be disappointed. I guess that's how a person matures, by taking disappointment and going on, and learning from it. And not blaming other racers. Right after the heat of the battle, it's easy to rant and rave and kick and scream and cuss and cry. Expressing ourselves is not only normal, but healthy. After further review, when things have calmed down a little, your perspective changes, and you think "maybe I could have handled that differently". I think Tony Stewart thinks that alot! But it usually doesn't stop him the next time. We'll see how Kyle handles his next disappointment, because there will be some. But I was very impressed last night. It was pretty much a wreck fest at the new configured race track in Vegas, some really hard hits. It's amazing that they were all able to walk away. Tomorrow, in the Cup race, with more horsepower and heavier cars, the wrecks might be harder and nastier. But the racing seemed good, Jeff Burton was able to catch Kyle and pass him (well, sort of) in 3 laps, and that's something you didn't see much at Las Vegas. Or Kansas. Or Chicago. Or Michigan. I'll be curious to see if those other tracks consider reconfiguring the banking, and narrowing the tracks in the turns. Jeff Burton must be feeling pretty good about today's cup race, seeing how the "sweep" seems to be the theme so far this year. Kevin Harvick at Daytona, and Matt at California, Jeff's sitting pretty after his big Busch win. He's won here twice, and judging from his Busch victory, knows how to get around the "new" track. Clint Bowyer was fastest in both practices, wouldn't that be fun for him to win? Richard Childress seems to be catching up to Rousch/Hendrick in terms of domination, every week any three of his drivers are very competitive, and always a threat to win. It's amazing how far RCR has come since Senior's death, what a devastating blow to the organization and Richard, both professionally and personally. Senior would be proud. Jeff (Gordon) qualified lousy, practiced lousy, I'm betting he'll have a good race. That's what makes this stuff so much fun, so unpredictable, there are actually 20 different drivers that have a legitimate shot at winning each race. And when you throw in luck and chance, which you have to because you're in Las Vegas, every driver has a shot.

March 4, 2007: I hate to admit it, but as a broacast team, I miss Bill Weber, Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach. That just goes to show how NOT impressed I am with the ESPN broadcasters. Brent Musberger? Isn't he like 100 years old, and has he ever done racing? Rusty needs a new line ("he's got a hot rod"), Andy Petree is good looking, that's about all I can say. Kathy Beth and I wonder why they don't have Allan Bestwick as their main commentator, but instead he's been relegated to a pit reporter. That man must have done something really wrong, he was unceremoniously dumped from Fox, and now scrapping to get any type of job in racing. To me, as a color guy, Darrell Waltrip sets a high bar. He's spontaneous, controversial, but at the same time respectful to his fellow broadcasters, drivers and fans. I don't know what he's like off camera, I've heard some stories, but that probably just puts the word "color" in color commentator. We're going to have the Busch series all year with ESPN2, and then during the second half of the Cup season ESPN and ABC will be covering the big boys. I hope ESPN can go back to their old ways, back before NASCAR got so big that networks were competing for the coverage. If you ever watch an old broadcast, the broadcasters, which included Dr. Jerry Punch, Buddy Baker and Alan Bestwick, were frank, to the point and focused on the racing. Because I'm not sure how long I can sit through this team. Maybe I'll turn the sound down and listen to it on MRN. OK, sorry, enough bitching. A road course today at Mexico City, only Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Dave Blaney and a few other Cup notables made the trip. I know Carl is going for the Busch Title this year, he'll have a hard time beating some of the ringers that usually fill these road races. But Martin Truex won the first race at Mexico City, Denny Hamlin the second, so don't count out any driver with some dirt track background. I don't know how well this international flavor is going to work in NASCAR, for some reason I just feel disconnected to Mexico City. Maybe it's because Cup is not running there. Maybe it's because there are so many names I don't know. Perhaps it's because it's so far away, I probably could never make a trip there. But I'll watch the race like a good little race fan, and look forward to next weekend, and Las Vegas.

Feb. 24, 2007: Like an old Batman show, this season has definitely started out with a BANG! CRASH! POW! OUCH! For many fans, Kevin Harvick was the villian of the series opener, nipping Mark Martin at the line while havoc ensued behind them. For many, it was NASCAR, allowing the crash fest to end under green. Thad and I had a lively discussion about whether NASCAR should have thrown the caution flag. I said no, he's not sure. I listened to both Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer on 610 this week, and both of them said that NASCAR was correct in not throwing the yellow. For one thing, in my opinion, it would have made the ending of the race, the closest in Daytona history since electronic scoring began, anti-climatic. They crashed in turn four, the next scoring light was the finish line, so it was too late for them to stop racing. And everyone that did have to maneuver through the massive wreck wouldn't have even cared about the caution, they knew there was a wreck, they were right in the middle of it. Do you think, as Clint Bowyer was sliding along his roof down toward the finish line, he was thinking "If they would have only thrown a caution!" I honestly don't think Mark and Kevin would have slowed, too little time, too much at stake. I know safety is NASCAR's main concern, everyone can appreciate that, but at that point safety was a moot point. All the drivers that were wrecking were obviously worried about their safety too. Thad countered that if they would have thrown the caution, many of the drivers involved in the wreck could have limped back to the yellow/checkered in better position than the last lap carnage cost them. But racing is wrecking, and sometimes, vice versa! California looks tame compared to Daytona, no infractions (yet!), the Truck and Busch race were fairly uneventful, just your average intermediate track: good three wide racing for a while, then get all strung out, and hope you don't run out gas. Michael Waltrip didn't make the race, that is a pretty painful train wreck to watch. Just goes to show you, all the money in the world can't make up for lack of talent. Dale Jarrett doesn't seem to have "it" anymore, Michael may never have had it: driving for a team like DEI can disguise a lot of weaknesses, and David Reitteman is, at best, a journeyman driver. David and Dale made the race, David on speed and Dale took the Champions provisional. Dale Jarrett has never been the same since his crash at Kansas. If you're skeered, say you're skeered. And move on with you life. Don't hold on to something that's burned itself out. Matt and the Rousketeers are strong at this track, and Jeff was lickety split fast getting the pole on Friday. Hendrick and Roush have dominated this track, and today shouldn't be any different. Off weekend next week, it's really a buzz killer to run two weeks and then take a weekend off. But after all the drama at Daytona, I guess the boys need some time to regroup.

Feb. 17, 2007: What a cluster! Let's just go racin', boys. I really wish I would have drafted Kevin Harvick on any one of my teams. He's a pouty little bad boy, and man, do I love that. Delana must have her hands full with him, but I think she can handle him. They had a special on her earlier today on ESPN2, she told him: "You've ruined my day, you suck!" How many times have I wanted to say that. Then to watch him go win a race, like he did the Busch race today at Daytona. He'll probably get a little tonight, and so will she. My emotions are pretty mixed about all the controversy that has surrounded NASCAR this week. I'm not sure that Michael Waltrip is telling the truth about not knowing his team added a substance to the fuel. You are the owner/drivier of a brand new team with a brand new manufacturer, you should know what's going on at every level. Maybe the owner of that team, Buffy, should assert herself like Delana does, "Michael, you've won Daytona before. Just go out and race, and don't suck!" Apparently Michael's young daughter asked him: "Daddy, why did you cheat?" "Honey, that's racing, and you need to understand that all the cool crap you have: the new bedroom furniture, the equestrian lessons, that state of the art cell phone, the I-pod, is all because I'll do whatever it takes to make our team a winner." Michael has two words when discussing his Daytona experience in 2007: "Wasn't me". Matt Kenseth was strong tonight in the Busch race, I still have him at the top of my list when trying to predict a champion. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is flexing his muscles, both on and off the track, he wants 50% ownership in DEI. And he should have it. Theresa needs to realize that DEI is nothing without Jr. He can take his sponsorship and go anywhere that suits him. Can you imagine him going to Hendrick, or Roush, or Ganassi? Or Childress? Budweiser will go with him wherever he decides to hang his helmet. I really think that Jr. could have a major impact on this sport, he's smart, he's a great racer, he doesn't have a huge ego that would stop him from being successful. Many times the ego gets in the way of a man (notice I say man) being all he can be. Jeff, Jimmie, Tony, Jr., are all such strong racers, look for one of them to win today at Daytona. And don't rule out Kevin Harvick. Delana will make sure that Kevin is primed and ready to race. You go girl!

Feb. 1, 2007: My New Year's Resolution was "to have fun". And by God, I'm going to have fun or else! It's been a challenge, the first month of the year, to keep my resolution, but in the words of Shaggy "I swear tomorrow will be a brighter day". I'm going with that. And the fact that the NASCAR season is just around the corner gives me hope for "a better tomorrow" (again quoting Shaggy). Race fans are starting to think about their Fantasy teams, studying every magazine and article written to get an edge on their competition. If you want to take a different approach to your draft, how about a "Theme Draft"? "Chevy Only" team has been one of my themes through the years, Nascarla had a "Boy Toy" team one year. So I've come up with some fun themes, in keeping with my resolution. Dreamy Team: Like we've said in the Do and Don'ts of this website, if you're going to have a favorite driver, he might as well be hot! Jeff Gordon, Casey Mears, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Bobby Labonte. Older Than Dirt Team: James Hylton, Dale Jarrett, Morgan Shepherd, Mark Martin (I know he's younger than me, but geez, he sure LOOKS old!), Ricky Rudd Local Boys Team: Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray, Carl Edwards, Ken Schrader. Booze Crew: Jr., Budweiser; David Stremme, Coors Light; Clint Bowyer, Jack Daniels; Jamie McMurray, Crown Royal; Kurt Busch, Miller Lite; Robby Gordon, Jim Beam (I could go on and on with this team!). Gold Diggers Team: This team will be stacked with drivers whose girlfriends/wives/significant others wouldn't have given them the time of day if they weren't loaded: Greg Biffle, The Busch Brothers, Jeff Gordon (although Jeff could get any woman, or man, that he wanted, Ingrid has Gold Digger written all over her). I say, you go girls. Been There, Done That Team: These drivers have had more rides than a day at Disneyland: Dave Blaney, Jeff Green, Kenny Wallace, Scott Wimmer, Kevin Lepage "What the Hell Did They Just Say" Team: Ward Burton, Elliott Sadler, Sterling Marlin, Bill Elliott. Communication is usually a problem with these drivers. Most Eligible Bachelors Team: Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt, Jr, Tony Stewart, Elliott Sadler, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Robby Gordon (According to statistics, one of these men are gay, and Jeff Gordon's not one of them!) I know Tony supposedly has a girlfriend, but that deal with the monkey leaves me with doubts... The Sopranos League: Mike Bliss, Dave Blaney, Kenny Wallace. Just sit there, and don't open your mouth. It really detracts from that he-man driver thing. The Benedict Arnold Team: I don't blame these drivers for getting the heck out of their respective Dodges, but alot of their die-hard fans do: Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip, Brian Vickers, Elliott Sadler, Mark Martin (he's finally coming to his senses, gonna drive a Chevy!). High Maintenance Team: You have to tip-toe around these drivers, don't want to hurt their tender feelings! (Notice, they are all men.) Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman. Laid Back Team: You might have to stick a mirror under these guys' noses to make sure they are still breathing. Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte, Martin Truex, Jr. You thought I was going to say Matt Kenseth, didn't you? Matt has more personality and humor than most of the drivers put together. Stand By Your Man Team: These drivers' wives know a good thing when they got it, and they'll fight for it. Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch Jeremy Mayfield.

Dec. 31, 2006: Is NASCAR relegated to being a red-headed stepchild? Unlike our red-headed step-sister, Pam Hardeman, NASCAR seems to be losing it's reputation as the next best sport to the NFL. Pam's reputation is impeccable, she personifies everything that defines a race fan: she speaks of her driver, Jimmie Johnson, as a deity that is to be worshipped like all who have come before him: Jeff, Dale Sr., Richard Petty. She reserves every Sunday (or Saturday night) as a sacred happening that will not be denied. She is the ultimate fan, nothing will deter her from backing her man. But from what I have read, she might be the kind of fan that is slipping from NASCAR's grasp. Television ratings have slipped substantially over the last year, some races were not sold out, and the television audience is a third of what it was in it's heyday. Some blame the Chase, some blame the commercials, there are more excuses than you can shake a stick at. I think that the fair weather fans, and media, are to blame. They jumped on the band wagon when it was the bling, and jumped off when it became the blah. Some point to the cookie-cutter tracks and the one-groove racing that is unfortunately a product of the new facilities. Some blame the restrictor plates that cramp the superspeedway's style. Others say, in our politically correct society, the drivers are stifled in expressing their personalities. Jr. can't say sh-- in an interview, Jeff can't push Matt without being penalized, Ryan can't crash Montoya because he is the next, best NASCAR superstar. It's all a product of a sport that has expanded beyond it's limits before it's time. It's hard to control a sport where individuals are forced to tip-toe around the penalities, and still be aggressive enough to win a race despite the costs. NASCAR can't have it both ways. They have to decide if the integrity of the sport is more important than the sponsorship that drives it. Good luck, NASCAR, you're going to need it.

Nov. 25, 2006: Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson. Talk about a meteoritic rise to the top of Racing's most exciting and dynamic series: NASCAR. Not many have done that in so short of a time: Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Jimmie is definitely in good company. When you think about how hard it is to get a top 20 in one race, it puts in perspective how hard it is to win a championship. I Tivoed the race, so was able to fast forward through the last 40 laps of commercials on NBC. It was almost like they thought: "OK, this is the last race we are broadcasting, so we don't really have to worry about showing any of the race." It was very disappointing. It would have been a good race to watch live, I can't imagine the excitement those last few laps for the 48 team and the 48 fans. Kathy Beth and the redheaded stepsister Pam might be a little hard to live with for awhile, but that's OK, they need to savor this feeling, because it doesn't happen very often. I remember when the Royals won the World Series in 1985, how exciting was that for KC. I was living in Minnesota in 1987 and 1991 when they won the Series, I even went to the parade in 1987. Whether you are a NFL fan, NBA, college basketball, or NASCAR fanatic, nothing compares with your "team" winning the championship. KC has had a dry spell as far as winning titles, I guess the last one was the Jayhawks winning the 1988 NCAA Championship. So when your driver wins, you better party 'til the cows come home. I can't wait until the banquet on December 1st. One of my favorite memories of Jimmie is the banquet in his rookie year, I think, anyway he was on stage and had to make a speech. I'm not trying to make fun of him, but this just shows you how far he's come concerning his public speaking. You could tell he was nervous, as well he should be, he meant to say that he had "an awful lot of people to thank", but it came out "I have some awful people to thank." It was so-o-o-o-o-o funny, and so-o-o-o-o-o cute. Now he has the polish and sophistication of a champion, and he looks so-o-o-o-o-o-o good in a tuxedo. (He actually looks good in everything, or nothing!) Jeff will be at the banquet with the new ex-Mrs. Jeff Gordon, oh, I mean, the new Mrs. Jeff Gordon. I'm not sure she speaks much English, she'll probably just sit there and look gorgeous, and try to look interested in what's going on, with visions of dollar signs dancing in her head. I guess Tony will be at the banquet accepting the 11th place award, or he may not show up, just like Jeff and Jr. were no-shows at the banquet last year. That would be unfortunate, Tony is funny and natural and really would add to the sometimes stiffness of the NASCAR crowd. I really enjoy Jay Mohr, I think he is hosting the banquet again. He doesn't hold back at all, no one is immune to his tom foolery, even the champion. Congratulations to Chad Knaus also, he's probably one of the only crew chiefs that will be comfortable speaking at the Banquet. Most of these guys are good ole boys that quiver at the thought of putting on a tux and sitting at the head table, and being forced to sit through hours of speeches before you have to give yours. I bet they are so relieved afterwards, that's when the celebration really kicks into high gear. At the end of the year, we'll check on our predictions for last year, and make some new ones for 2007. See you at Daytona in February!

Nov. 12, 2006: It's a sad day at the Lewis camp. Jeff Gordon got married last Tuesday, and I've been shaking my attitude ever since. What's he thinking? Did he not learn anything from that last debacle that was Brooke? I'm not saying that it was Brooke's fault, it takes two, baby. Maybe he's just ready to settle down, now that he's sown his wild oats. He and Brooke got married real young, and neither of them were probably mature enough to cope with his future superstardom. And knowing how much I would throw myself at him if I ever got the chance, I'm sure he had the fight women off with a stick. And apparently he put his stick down at some point, at least that's what Brooke claimed in the divorce. I know from personal experience that even if you're not married, breaking up is very hard to do. But to have the added hassle of the legal entanglement is something that I can do without, thank you. I wonder if Ingrid signed a pre-nup? I know she's a model (although a little long in the tooth) and sometimes actress, but Jeff is a multi-millionaire with lots of "assets". He would be crazy not to protect them. Oh well, I know you shouldn't go into a serious relationship thinking about divorce, but geez, you have to be realistic. I wish them happiness ever after, but by the time he gets divorced again, I might not be available! Kathy Beth sent me an email and said she felt like it was Christmas eve, she's so excited about the race and Jimmie's championship chances. Of course, I want Jimmie to win the championship. He's a helluva driver and is probably the most deserving of all, with all his close seconds the last two years.What he's accomplished in such a short career in Cup is truly phenomenal. A sensational rookie year, no sophomore slump, getting stronger and stronger with each passing season. Plus he's awful cute. This track (Phoenix) is more important to Jimmie than Homestead, I feel. Jimmie's short track program is a little behind his 1-1/2 track program, but just barely. I hope none of them play it safe, and go ahead and go for the win. Tony seems to be in his element now, he seems to be having a lot of fun. Maybe it's the because the pressure of defending his championship is over, and he's moved on. Or maybe it's because he's "got a brand new girlfriend". Either way, he is winning, on and off the track. I just hope he doesn't get married, screw it all up! Do I sound bitter? Sarcastic? Naw, not me.

Nov. 4, 2006: As the season winds down, it's time to prepare ourselves for that most dreaded season of the year: no racing. When I was living in Minnesota, you couldn't fish from November to February, when ice-fishing season opened. And that made for some cranky Yankees. I don't think the Southerners would put up with it, I guess that's why some fishing is open all year in the South. But the northerners are pretty laid back, don't get riled up about much (see Matt Kenseth). And they do manage to fill their time with snowmobiling, drinking, cross-country skiing, drinking, Cribbage, drinking, ice-sculpting, drinking, you get the point. When it's 20 below (50 below wind chill) for days on end, limited sun and snow measured in feet, you have alot of time on your hands. Just like November-February for us race enthusiasts. I've come up with some suggestions to while away the hours during the offseason. 1) Hibernate. During these last 3 races, fatten yourself up for a long winter's sleep. How fun would that be? You'll probably need a couple of inches of fat to get through the winter, so go ahead, glutton up. After the race at Homestead, set your alarm clock for the Daytona 500 in February, take a swig of Nyquil, and catch some zzzz's. (Disclaimer: Don't try this if you have a job, or responsibilities, or a life. Because they won't be there when you wake up.) 2. Get drunk. And stay drunk. Of course, you might miss the Daytona 500 with one mother of a hangover. Oh, and insert disclaimer here. 3. Be crafty. Woodwork, crochet, knit, make pot holders or koozies for everyone you know. And be zealous about it. Demonic even. By February, your house will be filled with doilies that resemble Juan Montoya. 4. Go to a desert island for vacation. Let the warm breezes and the sounds of the ocean lapping under your chair soothe your anguished soul. (And see No. 2). And there, in the distant, from across the ocean, you hear sounds of engines revving and the smell of tires smoking and fuel burning, and you know it's time to go home for the start of the racing season. 5. Tinker. And when I say tinker, it can't be productive. Tinkering just isn't. But it seems to take up lots of time, and you can multitask while your tinkering. (See No. 2). 6. Get in shape. Eat healthy, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, and meditate to keep you mind sharp. And by the beginning of the racing season, you'll be ready for...#1 and #2. These are just a few suggestions that I know help my northern friends get through a long winter. But we do have 3 races left, and they just happen to be at the 3 tracks where Jeff has not gone to victory lane. That doesn't bode well for his championship chances, which are faint at best. The Fords (Roush) are very strong here, Matt, Greg, Carl, Mark, former Roushkeeter Jeff Burton, have all won at this track. We were fortunate to see Kasey win there this spring, but Matt was strong all race long and finished 2nd. Of course Jimmie is excellent at these 1-1/2 mile tracks, so it ought to be a fight to the finish between the top two chasers. It reminds me of two of my dogs: Matt is Jarrett, my big old hound dog, who stands his ground while Buster (Jimmie) the high maintenance little boxer mix, nips at his heels and pulls his tail and tries to knock Jarrett off his game. It's a battle of wits (poor Jarrett) and resilience and patience. Of course, while these two are battling, the other "dogs" are stealing the prize the two are fighting over! By the way, did you see Tony's girlfriend with him in Victory Lane. Beautiful girl. I guess that exercise routine is really paying off for Tony. He said he's now just "semi-fat", and it was a lot easier for him to climb the fence at Atlanta. I like him just the way he is, A man that enjoys the good things in life, that's sexy to me. And on Tony, it just happens to show a little. Anyone can have 4% body fat like Bobby Labonte or Carl Edwards, but it takes a special man to embrace his "semi-fatness". You go, Tony.

Oct. 29, 2006: What a cluster! The Chase for the Championship, I mean. After the circus last week that was Martinsville, it seems like no one really wants to step up and claim it. Matt took the points lead, or was handed the points lead by Jeff Burton. It's like "here you take" "no, I don't want it, you take it". It's like a bad omen, something is bound to happen if you are in the points lead. I don't want to freak Matt Kenseth fans out, and hopefully it's just racing, or coincidence, or it could be that Mercury in Retrograde thing. Just ask Brian about that. Mercury went into retrograde Saturday, on his birthday, and his truck promptly blew up. Coincidence, I think not! And, of course, Halloween is just around the corner... It's a given that most athletes (heck, most people) are superstitious, and this kind of thing really concerns them. So it might come down to whichever driver is the most diligent in his little rituals (you know they have them). Like eating the same thing every race morning. Or wearing the same socks you wore last time you won a race (phew, because you know it's unlucky to wash them). Or in Tony's case, petting your monkey right before each race! That's got to be good luck, huh? One of Carl Edwards' crew isn't going to shave until Carl wins a race, he must be looking like Grizzly Adams by now. Last night's Busch race at Memphis was a comedy of errors also. Record number of cautions, and Juan Pablo Montoya's first time in a heavier stock car (he ran ARCA earlier this year, did real well). He got caught up in a couple of wrecks, caused a couple of wrecks, got penalized for speeding on Pit Road, and actually finished the race. Talk about learning on the job! I think he'll do well in NASCAR, but he's got some adjusting to do. Carl couldn't hold Kevin off, and Clint Bowyer got by Carl also on the green-white-checkered restart. Heck, I think they're still wrecking in Memphis this morning! Maybe Jeff can sneak into the championship by being the luckiest Chaser, by having the least worst luck. Does that make sense? The thing about bad luck is that it doesn't discriminate. We all have it at some time, and usually it's at the most inopportune time. I guess the thing to do is not take it personally and have a sense of humor about it. Matt, Mark and Jeff Burton are all Debby Downers, usually pessimistic about their chances. Jimmie, Jeff and Kyle Busch are all pretty optimistic, must be the Hendricks influence. Kevin Harvick also seems to have a positive attitude, and that little twinkle in his eyes shows that he doesn't take it all too seriously. You have to have fun too, or all the pressure just isn't worth it. You'll burn out. Junior also has the attitude of a champion, but last week he just was too impatient. I hope that didn't cost him the championship. He was heard telling his crew chief he needed help because "I definitely can't take control of myself". Well, that's the first step, asking for help. What a fine man he's turned out to be. I love the short tracks, don't get me wrong. But I like speed, and so I'm glad that it's Atlanta this week. It's a fast track, the fastest on the circuit. Qualifying got rained out, so the Chase contenders will be starting up front. I don't mean to ignore the drivers not in the Chase, but unfortunately the new format lends itself to that. Tony and Carl will be fighting it out for 11th place, and both do well at this track. Jimmie is also strong here, as is Jeff and Kasey Kahne. It ought to be a dog fight to the finish of this Chase, and may the luckiest dog win!

Oct. 21, 2006: Slow and steady wins the race. In this case, maybe a championship. That's not really what NASCAR racing should be about, but that's the bottom line. No matter how much they tried, creating the Chase still didn't eliminate consistency as the main criteria for winning the title. Jeff Burton has been methodical but hardly exciting in his quest for his first Championship. In my opinion, he's always been a little, well, boring. Maybe it's his laid-back attitude, maybe because he's always seems so serious. Talking about rules and regulations and safety and blah, blah, blah. Let's talk racing! The 3sisters got his autograph at the RaceFest in Kansas. He wasn't rude by any means, but you could tell he was a million miles away. I know the drivers have so many demands on their time, and they have people constantly pushing and pulling at them, they probably would LIKE to be a million miles away. But it's all about me, and he didn't give me the type of attention I thought was needed. He acted like he was interested in what we were saying, but you could tell he wasn't even listening. He's an excellent driver, and would deserve the championship by being so consistent, but can you say YAWN? There shouldn't be any yawning going on today at Martinsville, that short, flat track always has a lot of excitement. Look for Jeff to bounce back, he's now said it all about winning races, from here on out. Thad asked me the other day who I would like to see win the Championship, I said Matt or Kevin or Jr. (I'm taking Jeff at his word that his drive for five titles is parked). Although Matt's been accused of being boring, as was his 2003 title, looks can be deceiving. He's got a sharp wit, and he not afraid to use it, on the track and off. Neither Kevin or Jr. have won the title, and you can bet either of them would make it an exciting ride. I know it takes all kinds, but whoever the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion is, I hope he celebrates it in a way that such as honor deserves.

Oct.14, 2006: Has NASCAR peaked? That's what I've been reading lately. Declining television ratings, empty seats at most venues, sponsors leaving in droves. They say most men (boys) peak at 19, women at 33. (Although I'm hoping the newest survey coming out shows women peak at 48!) NASCAR is 58 years and counting, could they have seen their best days? It still confounds me that football is king, although I understand its appeal. Being a team sport, you can rally around a whole team, as opposed to one driver. But in NASCAR, you can support a manufacturer, or an owner, or a specific driver if you choose. Last night, during the Busch race, NASCAR had egg on it's face most of the race. They couldn't figure out if Casey Mears or Carl Edwards were leading after Casey's pit stop, and they put Matt Kenseth deep in the field when he should have been the last car on the lead lap. Matt almost defied the odds by winning, but he got loose, loose beside Dave Blaney and spun out on the last lap. Why it took three red flags and numerous cautions to sort it all out is a wonder to me. Even us fans, although we had to endure numerous commercials while all the drama was going on, could see that Casey Mears blended in at the wrong spot, and Matt was screwed with the "Lucky Dog". You can't really blame the fact that NASCAR is new to this kind of controversy, it's been happening ever since the spotlight has been directed square on the sport. Shoot, even before that. To monitor this sport, where a thousand of a second advantage means the difference between winning and losing, has to be a nightmare. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes, that's for sure. They still need to keep sight of the big picture, as all the drivers do during the "Chase for the Cup". Racing is all about winning, and losing, and there's not a lot of gray area. I was so impressed with Dale Jr. last week. While my favorite driver, Jeff Gordon, was crying for the Wambulance, Jr. was taking the high road concerning his last lap crash with Jimmie Johnson. As was Carl AND Casey last night. It is was it is. It was racing, and Jr. and Carl got the worst of it. Honestly, I think Jimmie went down too quick for Brian to follow him, Jimmie checked up and Brian bumped drafted him in the right rear instead of square on the back bumper. I guess it might be a product of the Chase, no one who had anything to gain, or lose, wanted to step out of line during the last 10 laps of Talladega. Jimmie knew he had to move on the last lap. And he couldn't pass Jr. without the help of his teammate, Brian Vickers. Jr. protecting, Jimmie desperate, Brian wasn't sure who to go with. Truthfully, I would have went with Jr. Who wouldn't? Jr. at Talladega, the 8 car is the class of the field. Last night, during the Busch race, it was either feast or famine. They didn't have a smaller fuel cell like they will tonight during the Nextel cup race, so the field got strung out during their only long run. That won't happen tonight, everyone will have to pit to keep up with the fuel strategy. NASCAR can only keep with THEIR strategy, and hopefully will be more assertive in their decisions. Most of the time you know what you need to do, doing it is a whole different matter. I don't know what happened to Jeff this weekend in qualifying. He's qualified 41st, they haven't missed the setup this bad since the spring of 2004 when Kathy and I watched Jeff limp home a couple of laps down at Charlotte. Jimmie won that race, the first time Kathy Beth saw him win. Never count Jimmie out here, he's starting good, and no one can compare with him at this track. Matt is due at this track also, the track is fast and the upper groove, which suits Matt, is super fast. Get that run off the top, and no one can catch you.

Oct. 6, 2006: Talladega. Big and fast. And they are still trying to slow them down. NASCAR mandated smaller restrictor plates on Saturday morning after the newly resurfaced track proved to be too fast in Friday's practice. Isn't it ironic that, in a sport based on speed, they are trying to go slower? I don't know if they're still running the smaller fuel cell, which was NASCAR's latest attempt to break up the big packs at Talladega and Daytona. The powers that be are really earning their money this week. People in the know are calling this "the wild card" of the chase, because this track is so unpredictable. The chase drivers will have to take chances that maybe they shouldn't, because another bad day for the bottom 6 drivers could put them out of contention for the Championship. Couple that with 4 and 5 wide racing, 10 to 12 rows deep, can you say "the big one"? Short of just not racing at the Superspeedways that require restrictor plates, there is really nothing more that can be done to keep everyone safe. The first year I went to Talladega, 1998, there was a huge crash right in front of us, at the start/finish line. Senior and Bill Elliott got together, and Sr. slid on his top all the way up the banking before slamming into the wall. The fence stopped most of the debris from hitting us, but we were pelted by fluid and rubber and small pieces of the #3 car. It was cool! But if that fence wouldn't have been there, and if they had been going any faster, it might not have been so cool. The reason they mandated the plates was because of a near disaster in 1987 when a car driven by Bobby Allison almost made it into the grandstands after crashing off turn one. That year Bill Elliott set a still-standing pole run of 212 mph. Can you imagine? That's 20 miles an hour faster than the qualifying run yesterday of David Gilliland in the 38 M&Ms car. I don't even know if the drivers can take that kind of G-force, lap after lap. Although Terry Bivins told me that it's easy to drive Talladega "you can eat a sandwich driving down the backstretch", it still has to be nerve-racking, or as I like to say "tight-butt driving". There is absolutely no room for error. Granted, these are professional drivers, this is what they do for a living. But with rookies and chasers and lots of drivers with nothing to lose, it's a recipe for disaster. Hopefully I'm being dramatic, all I know is that it will be an exciting race. And hopefully a safe one. Last week was really good racing, I know lots of people hate fuel mileage racing. But the Banquet 400 had everything including that, good 3 sometimes 4 wide racing, plenty of pit strategy, wrecks, spins, and an unexpected finish. We were right at the start/finish line. When Smoke ran out of gas coming off turn one, we all figured he was done. But here he came creeping down the frontstretch, and to our surprise taking the checkered flag. Nascarla and Amy were real disappointed that he didn't climb the fence, I think they were planning on doing some fence-climbing of their own. Maybe he heard there were some frenzied female fans ready to drag him into THEIR mosh pit. But it was really nice to see a second groove forming at Kansas, because now the racing is as good as the rest of the event. Talladega should, in all likelihood, help Jr. and Jeff's championship hopes. But it could also hurt them. Jimmie and Matt are coming on so strong as far as their restrictor plate programs go, there might be a changing of the guard at this venues. Matt's been snake-bit many times here, usually the big one finds him. And Jimmie has won two of three restrictor plate races this year, so you could almost call him dominating. But nothing can be taken for granted here at Talladega. And that's what makes it so exciting. So hang onto your hats, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Sept. 23, 2006: Kevin Harvick may just do it. Winning the Busch Championship and the Cup Championship in one year may be in his grasp. Can you imagine? I'm don't think that has ever happened. It's hard to win one race, at any level, let alone championships. There are just too much parity, and too many wild cards out there. Speaking of Harvick, that was a super sandwich he made of himself with Jeff Burton and Denny Hamlin, early on at the race at Loudon. He said it was pretty stupid of him, but sometimes you have to take risks. It could have gone either way, but the fact that he squeezed between two drivers that didn't panic or get pissed helped alot. Wonder what Tony would have done in that situation, had he been Denny or Jeff B? I was kind of disappointed in Tony saying that he has to tip toe around the Chase drivers last week. No you don't. Maybe his teammate, but they look out for them anyway. When you're constantly worrying about someone else's race, it's hard to be yourself, and drive the way that will get you a win. Racing is like life: you're going to hurt some feelings along the way, it's inevitable. It's not selfish to want to win, what's selfish is to martyr yourself so someone else can win. For Tony not to be his usual competitive self diminishes all the racers' efforts. Finishing second last week, he must not of tiptoed too quietly. I just don't think it's in him to be accommodating. That kind of driving didn't win him two championships. Jimmie really needs to have a good race today. I told Kathy Beth maybe he got his engine troubles and his crash out of the way in one race. Even if Jimmie doesn't win the championship, that in no way should darken the reputation of the 48 team. After all, he's only been in Nextel Cup for four years, and has competed for the top spot all four years. That's an incredible record. Next Thursday, September 28, 3sistersracing is going to have Terry Bivins and Scott Crystal in a meet and greet at the Legends Speedfest. I know that every race fan will be thrilled to meet Terry, and I'm sure the other drivers there will also be in awe of this legend. As far as I know, Jimmie will be signing at a Lowe's somewhere on Friday, and the Speedway is also having Ford drivers sign on Saturday out by the trailers. Jr. is having a "One Night Stand" in Westport on Thursday, sponsored by Budweiser. Hmmm, I wonder if he'd be interested in a One Night Stand at the Woodlands! That's where we'll be camping, the Race Fan Resort all tricked out for the Kansas weekend. This year we're going to try and have more time for actual racetrack time, both the Kansas Speedway and Lakeside. Of course one of the best parts is meeting all the cool people. All the Midwest, and Canada, come out for this event. It's great that Kansas is a part of the Chase race, but even if it wasn't, we'd be out there in force. I heard Betty Croker isn't going to sponsor Erin Crocker next year. I wonder if the situation with her truck owner Ray Everham had anything to do with that? I saw them at Las Vegas at the Saturday night truck race, he seems to be nonplused at all the drama his and her relationship is creating. Right or wrong, the sponsors worry about the image their drivers portray. It's unfortunate that the drivers are under such a microscope, every aspect of their lives scrutinized and dissected. But that's the nature of the NASCAR beast.

Sept. 16, 2006: This is a great time of year: the change of the season is in the air, cooler nights, mellower days, and the excitement building for the Chase to the Nextel Cup. The pressure is off for most of the teams, one way or the other. Just to get in the top 10 for the Chase might be good enough to allow for easing of the pressure, and for those not in, you can race balls to the walls without worrying about being conservative and easing your way into the Chase. Winning, for those teams, is now the focus. And that should make for some good racing. Tony could play a spoiler role, he's just ornery enough to do it. I'm not saying he will deliberately take some one out just because he can, although now that I've typed that sentence, I wonder... He's done a lot of things that have surprised me this year, two of them being down right dangerous at Daytona and at Pocono, where his blatant disregard for the safety of the other drivers disturbs me. It's one thing to want a little payback for a perceived wrong, quite another to endanger other people's lives trying to get that payback. Tony's talked all season long about respect, and as the defending champion, he deserves that from all the drivers. But being Nascar's resident bully doesn't sit too well with the other drivers in the garage, or many of the fans. Do you believe in karma? Maybe that's why Tony's not in the Chase. Now that the Chase is underway, and the 10 drivers that can compete for the Championship are set, here's my predictions for the Chase: (some people never know when to keep their mouths shut). 10th: Jr. I think he needs one more year with Tony Jr. to get the consistency it takes to win a Championship. Last year really set that program back. 9th: Jeff Burton. He has basically forgotten how to win. This year Murphy's Law should be Burton's law: If it can go wrong at the end of the race, it will. 8th: Mark Martin. As much as I would like to see him go out as Champion, there's too many young guns out there that are frankly braver drivers. Which leads to my 7th place pick: Kyle Busch. He'll be like a kid in a candy store, may not know when to stop grabbing for the prize, and ending up sick to his stomach. 6th: Kasey Kahne. Kasey has been so focused, despite Everham Motorsports continued distractions. He has all the elements to make a Champion. It's just too crowded at the top. Same with my 5th place pick: Denny Hamlin. All season long, you kept expecting him to have a bad race, and he really didn't. He was always there, contending. Phenomenal season for a phenomenal rookie driver. Just making the Chase was incredibly difficult for a driver that had never been on some of the tracks on the circuit. 4th: Jeff. I know I picked him to win the Championship at the beginning of the year, but I think him and Steve LeTarte are still struggling a little to communicate. If he does win, it will be by sheer strength of driving ability. 3rd: Jimmie. Sorry Kathy Beth. He been poised on the brink of superstardom since he began in Nextel Cup, heck, he IS a superstar. It concerns me that they have very little momentum coming into the Chase. That hasn't boded well for the 48 team in the last 2 years. 2nd: Kevin Harvick. It's really a coin toss for me as far as Kevin is concerned: 1st or 2nd. He's a true racer in the Earnhardt mode. It would be exciting to see the Goodwrench car win a championship, what a great tribute to Senior's legacy. So that leaves my Champion pick, Matt Kenseth. He has it all: and he's won it all before. You can't really say he runs under the radar, but he is overlooked at times. And that is dangerous. Matt seems to have virtually no ego, at least not one that gets in his way. These are just ideas, I think the Top 10 is very strong and anything can happen. And that's what makes this such a fun time of year.

Sept. 9, 2006: Well, the Chase is on, without Tony Stewart. The last two Nextel Cup Champions won't even have a chance to defend their titles in this year's championship chase. Jeff barely squeezed in, losing 5 positions, talk about loss of momentum! Jimmie lost the points lead last week, he seems to be on the same downhill spiral he was in the last two years when the chase started. Matt, Kevin and Kyle Busch are the ones that are beginning the chase with momentum. But as every one knows, that don't mean squat when the next race comes around. There is so much pressure on these teams, but it must be an exhilarating feeling to wake up every day knowing that no matter how it turns out, they get to do what they love. Race. From the mechanic to the driver to the owner, making a living doing what you love is what we all aspire to. For instance, I LOVE making bumper stickers! You can't believe how much I've learned about life from bumper stickers. "This is the best day of my life." That bumper sticker came through, how positive is that? "LIGHTEN UP, we all make huge mistakes we pay for forever." Talk about putting things into perspective. "Life's too short to hunt with an ugly dog", Nascarla's favorite. And racing stickers: "Racing makes my Dick Trickle". Enough said. "Do It In the Dirt." "Dirt is for racing, Asphalt is for getting there." And of course: "Go Fast, Turn Left". Last night during the Richmond race they showed a bite from an interview with Jeff Burton, asking him how he was handling the pressure of the chase. He chuckled and said "I'm anxious but excited. I'm having fun. This is what this sport is all about. Having the opportunity to run in the chase, to try and win the championship, that's what it's all about. Pressure is not having the chance." He seems very grateful to be in the position he is, not just in the chase, but at the top level of stock car racing. Like all things in life, when you start taking things for granted, and not appreciating everything that is given you, and everyone who gives it, that's when unhappiness sets in. Tony might need an attitude adjustment, although he was very gracious last night while being interviewed after not making the chase. But the way he treated the media and fellow drivers this year, he might need to get a little taste of humble pie. Like it or not, the media has to be treated with respect, no matter what dumb questions they ask. And even the rookie drivers that Tony took to task this season deserve to be out on the track, otherwise they wouldn't be in top Cup rides. I love Tony: his driving style, his sense of humor, his sly smile. He's an emotional person, and sometimes it's hard to keep on an even keel. His championship year was a result of an attitude adjustment after his sponsor and owner put their foot down, maybe it's time for the other shoe to drop. Check out our predictions for the drivers to make the Chase in the Archives section of www.3sistersracing.com. I said Mark Martin wouldn't be in it, wrong. I did call the right Busch brother to be in the Chase, but that's about all I can brag about: Ryan, Tony, Casey Mears(?) Elliott Sadler and Carl Edwards were all picks that failed to make it. Kathy Beth didn't do much better: Ryan, Jamie, Elliott Sadler, Carl and the Biff were on her list. Nascarla didn't really make any predictions, she just put down her favorite drivers: Tony, no; Clint Bowyer; no; David Stremme, naught. Denny Hamlin made it, the driver she wanted to add to her list of favorite drivers but didn't want to appear greedy. That should never stop a race fan from picking a hot driver. And Denny is hot, the first rookie to make the Chase in it's short history. I'm sure glad Jeff and Jr., made it in, by the skin of their teeth. I bet NASCAR is also. All ten drivers are deserving, Kasey Kahne won a series high 5 races, so it's justified that he should be in the Chase. It's looking to be an interesting fall, my favorite time of year. And getting to watch this chase just makes it that much better.

Sept. 2, 2006: Whose to say these fuel mileage races are boring? If the driver that is suppose to run out doesn't, it's a surprise win usually by a dark horse using pit strategy. If the driver does run out of fuel, as predicted, the field streams by with the win the going to the driver that stayed up front most of the race. The finishes are rarely boring, but the laps between may be reason for some yawns. Last night at the Busch race, Mark Martin was clearly running away with the race, but pit strategy allowed Kasey Kahne to steal the race from Mark. The racing was good, lots of three wide, but it was mostly 3 to 4 seconds behind the leader. It's very important for California to sell out this weekend. A little market research could reveal that Labor Day might not be the best time to bring NASCAR to California. There is a lot to do out in California anyway: the beach, the mountains, the desert, all within an hour of the track. Not to mention Disneyland, Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, Hollywood, the Angels, the Dodgers, USC Trojans football, the distractions go on and on. There are beautiful lakes in which to camp, fish, boat, ski, and right before the school year, people are making one last excursion for pleasure. Of course, for this race fan, there would be no question where I would go. Southern California is always on the cutting edge of culture, and I'm sure their race track is no different. I'm sure the amenities are first class, for both the drivers and the fans. After living out there for 4 years, I can tell you that California offers a whole different feeling. It's like you're on permanent vacation. People DO work, but it's a casual mindset. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's the fact that you can walk down to the beach every night, and actually be out after dark without worrying about bugs. Maybe it was because I was young (in my 20s) when I lived out there, and everything was new and exciting to me. It's fun to know that you're a part of society that is forward-thinking and laid-back at the same time. Sure there's lots of people, sure there's lots of traffic, and lots of pollution. Crime is bad, prices are high, but it's all worth it, most Californians will tell you. Transplanted Californians or locals, all will tell you it's just a lot of fun to live out there. And isn't that what life's all about? Of course, Fontana got their second race at the expense of the Southern 500 in Darlington. And South Carolina is no slouch when it comes to it's beautiful beaches and mountains and scenery. But it's those pesky Hurricanes and Tropical Depressions and 1 pound mosquitoes that give Southern California the edge. As far as the racing goes, The Lady in Black has no equal. Certainly not a 2 mile flat track where fuel mileage usually determines the winner. But as we know, it's the whole package that makes up a race weekend, and I'm sure California Speedway in Fontana is itself unequaled in that regard. I would love to travel there to see a race sometime, but you would really need to take a whole 7 days to enjoy all the area has to offer. Don't be surprised to see Matt win three in a row, that team is at the top of it's game right now. Jimmie Johnson, unlike years past, should be relieved that the points are going to be tightened up after the 26 race "regular" season, because if it was left as is, Matt would probably run away with the Championship, just like he did in 2003. His momentum is that great. For some reason it doesn't irritate me that Matt wins all the time, usually if someone goes on a roll, and it's not Jeff, I get cranky. (Especially if their name is Busch). Matt's just a very classy winner, a stealthy driver, and fun to watch. And that's what it's all about!

August 26, 2006: Stalking and racing go hand in hand. And I'm not talking about www.3sistersracing.com doing whatever it takes to get to their favorite drivers. (Although Kathy Beth would leave no stone unturned as far as getting to Jimmie is concerned.) I'm referring to watching a race and all of a sudden you say "where did he come from?" I could probably get some pointers from my driver, Jeff Gordon. He stalked Matt Kenseth (himself an expert stalker) for the last 40 laps at Michigan. If he woulda had 3 more laps, he coulda caught him. Jeff talked after the race about wanting to pass Matt clean, just to prove he could after the Chicago scuffle. You can dominate, and you can be lucky, but coming out of nowhere throws everyone for a loop. Dale Earnhardt, Sr., was the ultimate stalker. Seeing the black Number 3 in your rear view mirror had to be intimidating, hence the name. Tony Stewart is a stalker, Ryan Newman is not. Jimmie Johnson is a stalker, Kurt Busch is not. Ryan and Kurt are either there or they are not. Does this make sense? It's harder to stalk at Bristol, it's too much of a crap shoot. Chad Lyle is the master at stalking at Lakeside, flying under the radar, but a force to be reckoned with when it's all said and done. Nascarla says that Gene Claxton is also a stalker, you watch that car circle the track all night long, and then in the feature, there he is, ready to pounce on the leaders if they have any sort of bobble. Being able to stalk successfully is just another piece of ammunition in a champion's arsenal, along with knowing when to be patient and when to be aggressive. When a driver is at the top of their game, all of those elements are working, like a well-oiled machine. Once they reconfigure the points after the first 26 races, and the Chase is on, it's anyone's ballgame, and in the end the Champion will be the driver that is clicking on all cylinders. In football, a team can lean on it's defense once it reaches the playoffs. In NASCAR, you need defense and offense and special teams and coaching AND luck. This week at Bristol, with 3 races to go before the Chase, Lady Luck will flex her muscles and prove how much you have to court her to make the Chase. So much can happen in so little space. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I think that phrase was invented at Bristol. Check out the Bristol page on Track Treks. Nothing compares to Bristol. All three series run there in the fall, the town has a cool festival sandwiched between the Truck and Busch race on Thursday, and there is always, I repeat always, controversy and calamity. I've been so impressed with Kevin Harvick this year, he seems to really be coming into his own. From his domination of the Busch series to his possible first Chase run to the Championship, he's on the verge of being considered the favorite to win it all. He has all it takes to be a champion, and I think he would be a great one. He's fun, doesn't take himself too seriously, but takes racing serious. This will be one of the most exciting 10 races in NASCAR history. I'm going to pick Kevin to win, his momentum and good starting position puts him in a good place to take that last step to the Chase. Jr. is on the brink, there will be 2 or 3 very disappointed drivers, teams and fans after this race. We're disappointed because Lakeside was canceled tonight, but we will be able to watch the Busch race at Bristol tonight, instead of watching it through out eyelids when we get home at 2am. Kathy is having her annual Bristol party tomorrow. Last year Matt dominated the race, leading like 415 laps out of 500. He may again, his short track program is one of the premier ones in Cup. Jeff's record here is phenomenal, something like 5 wins and 13 poles. He's starting 13th, lucky 13 I hope. I said Jeff is a great stalker, is that him at the end of my driveway? He better get to Tennessee, he has a race to run tomorrow night. He can stalk me after the season is over.

August 18, 2006: It's starting to get hot. And I'm not just talking about the weather. Did the axis shift and I missed it? Were those boos I heard at the Busch Race in Michigan directed at Junior? After bumping a loose Carl Edwards, Jr. went on to win the race and offered no apologies. And I don't think any were warranted. Carl was upset, but he retaliated by hitting Jr. hard on the side of the car after coming out of the pits, they had an on-board camera in Jr. car, and you could tell he wasn't prepared for the contact. NASCAR needs to have bouncers out there, in heavy duty vehicles, just to control the after-race shenanigans. It's been an unbelievably exciting year so far: good racing, lots of drama, anyone would be hard pressed to name another sport with this much emotion invested by all parties. The fans, the drivers, the officials, everyone is in on the action.This is why we are so devoted to our sport. It's like a soap opera, only with speed. You've got villains (Jr., Tony, Carl, depending on your take), heroes (Jr., Tony, Carl, depending on your take), heroines (the long-suffering ex of Ray Everham), vixens (Erin Crocker) and enough drama to make for one long, hot summer. Oh, and the hottest leading men around. I feel sorry for my brother-in-law Joe, he's declared himself not a NASCAR fan, and so will never be able to enjoy the sport the way we can. And the funny thing is, he loves drama! But football is his sport of choice, and I think that he believes if he likes NASCAR he is being disloyal to football. That and the fact that us girls liked it first. Men can be funny that way. But the non-NASCAR fan don't know what they are missing. And with the 10 Race Chase getting closer, it's just beginning to heat up. Next Friday night we have a suite reserved at Lakeside, courtesy of Pam Walker and her winning ways at the Daytona Watch Party in February. Terry Bivins is pretty sure he'll run his Grand National out there on Friday, it ought to be sizzling out at the dirt track too! Then on Saturday, Kathy Beth's having a house party for the Bristol race on Saturday night. Short track racing on a Saturday night, with the peeps, life just keeps getting better and better. I hope the weather holds out for the race today at Michigan, remember last go around it was rain-shortened. Kasey Kahne won, but he comes into this race out of the Chase's top ten. I wonder if Ray's tom foolery is distracting to Kasey also? It obviously made an impact on Jeremy and his team. I think I'm with Jeremy on this one: It's apparent that Ray is completely besotted by Erin Crocker, and may be thinking with the wrong organ. I even heard, whether this is true or not I don't know, that he was at the truck race in Kansas with Erin while his 3 Cup teams was racing at Daytona in July. Daytona? You don't miss that track, especially when you have 2 teams struggling and one on the cusp of making the Chase. I understand being in love and wanting to be with that person, but sometimes you have to make certain sacrifices in order for a ship to be righted and to stay on course. But it does add to the drama that is NASCAR, and I love it. Now I'm going to take a cold shower.

August 12, 2006: I was going to write about Kurt Busch getting married this week, and how he showed his narcissistic side to this bunny-hugger. He said his lovely bride-to-be Eva was distressed that her perfect wedding on the beach had to be moved elsewhere when environmentalists protested that the wedding site was inhabited by a threatened beetle. Could this guy be any more of a loser in my eyes? I don't think so. He did win the Busch race yesterday at Watkins Glen, so we were all treated to his "signature" snow angel, a move he concocted at Bristol, tried to duplicate at Texas, only to take a header into the grass. He needs to take a cue from his younger brother and find another way to celebrate a win. Kyle does a massive burnout, then rises from the car like some Phoenix from the ashes. Kathy Beth and I saw that at Lowe's the year Kyle won the Busch Race, and it was pretty spectacular. Anyway, back to Kurt and Eva's marriage. I know this is the most treasured day of their life, a new beginning for them, from this day forward, blah, blah blah.... Can you tell I'm a little bitter about marriage? I loved being married, I hated getting divorced. I hope he knows what he's getting into, from the sounds of the wedding, she might be a little high maintenance. I guess she arrived to the farmhouse where the nuptials were performed in a "horse-draw Cinderella carriage" while an "eight piece ensemble played the wedding march". Well, I wish them the best, they're going to need it. A friend of mine told me once: "When you marry for money, you pay for it." Somehow, some way. Some of the 3sisters gang went to I-70 last night, had a suite, dollar beers, dollar hot dogs, it was very cool. Hardly any cars, or people, there. I don't know if the local racing scene is just too saturated with tracks, and not enough cars, but I know the car count is down at Lakeside also. But it was fun watching the Dash cars on the asphalt track, and the Super Trucks were real fast. The Cup race this weekend is crucial to a lot of drivers. Jeff, Tony, Jr., Kasey Kahne, all need to do well. Somebody is going to be left out, many of us hope it's not Jeff or Jr., again this year. I'm sure NASCAR hopes they make it also. I've noticed that lately whenever you see NASCAR stuff, where it used to be Jeff., Jr., Sr., or Jeff, Jr., Tony, now it's Jeff, Jr. and Kasey Kahne. He has a tremendous female fan base, and it's no wonder. He's adorable, and a great driver to boot. That Allstate commercial with the forty-something women fantasizing about Kasey Kahne is, well, right on. Us forty-something women do that, we really do. Dream about young, good-looking race car drivers wanting us. A not very realistic dream, granted, but it's our dream, and you can't take it away from us. I've quit trying to pick winners for the races, my fantasy teams pretty much suck, so we'll just say that Watkins Glen should be dominated by the road race heavyweights: Jeff, Tony, Robby Gordon. Jimmie, Matt and Jr., might sneak in there, they are both getting stronger with each road race. I've never set much store in the ringers, although Boris Said has been doing some oval track racing this year. Not well, but he is getting some track time with the Cup regulars, which can only help. Doesn't look like any fall off for Jimmie this year, too bad he has to watch his substantial lead diminish down to 5 points after Richmond. But that's why they created the Chase, so no one driver could dominate the way Matt did when he won his championship in 2003. It makes for better competition from the fans' perspective, but if Jimmie doesn't win the championship this year, that song and dance will ring pretty hollow for the 48 bunch.

August 5, 2006: Friday night was a great night, everything a racin' girl could ask for, truly. The 3sisters, friends, and Terry Bivins out on the track. After 32 years, he was Shack Packing back on a dirt track. He said the car felt good on the hot laps, better in the heat race, and was really hooked up in the Feature. Loose is fast, and he was loose! Turn two proved to be the final blow for the 53 car in the Feature, Terry scraped it a little and had to dive into the pits. But it's really hard to put into words how important that night was to all of us, and I hope Terry enjoyed himself. Because after all, that's what it's all about. It was fun to see all the Coons' and Bivins' and friends from Wellsville, home of 3sisters. Terry talked to us about his NASCAR career, I was completely in awe of his storytelling. He said his favorite tracks are Darlington, and Pocono, which surprised me a little. He said that they were drivers' tracks, where you have to think and drive at the same time. Talk about multitasking! He said you could eat a sandwich while racing down the backstretch at Talladega, but the speeds are incredible. That was before the restrictor plate racing, where they ran 210mph+ at the superspeedway. Terry said the hardest hit he ever took was at Darlington. He kept asking Claudia after the race how they did in Springfield, MO that weekend! She told him that they hadn't raced in Missouri, sounds like he got his bell rung pretty good. Everyone there at Lakeside Friday night was so excited to see and talk to Terry, I wonder if he knows what a legend he is. I guess he does now. Kathy and I are watching short track Saturday night racing at ORP in Indiana, there have already been 4 cautions in only 30 laps. It's going to be a long, hot night. Tomorrow we will be at the race party at Hooters by the Kansas Speedway, partying and watching the race with the peeps. I'll cut this short, but I do want to award the Sister Sandwich to Tony Stewart. He was the plump meat in an open-faced sandwich courtesy of Clint Bowyer, oh, and the wall at Pocono. It seemed inadvertent to me, Clint just used as much race track as was available, but Tony took offense to that. Tony's tirade afterwards was a little hard to follow...they don't race up front enough to race up front with us...there's no give and take, and I'm not going to give unless they take...blah, blah, blah. I love Tony, he's a great champion and probably the best driver on the track most days. I think he needs to get... well, you know. Chill out! I'll pick Jeff to win tomorrow, just because I want him to, and I believe that Denny Hamlin will do well also. Kathy and I were talking about Jimmie, and how he didn't really wow 'em in his Busch career, but really had a seamless adjustment to Nextel Cup. Denny Hamlin seems to be like that also during his rookie year, all the rookies are strong, but he runs up front consistently, and really has no weaknesses. I want to welcome James, our bodyguard, into our fold, we are very glad to have him around to keep those pesky hot drivers away from the 3sisters. Happy Belated Birthday, Jeff. On August 4th he turned 35, so officially he's not too young for me anymore. But then I have to go through that mid-life crisis with him in a few years. Maybe I'll just admire him from afar. Sometimes the fantasy is better than the reality.

July 22, 2006: It's fixin' to be a silly Silly Season. It's already started, with all the buzz surrounding Juan Montoya: international racing superstar (and HOT driver) and it's bound to boil over as the Chase for the Cup 2006 heats up. Elliott Sadler and Jeremy Mayfield are wanted commodities in the garage, both have too many Cup wins not to be considered by each team that needs a driver. It's rumored that Sadler will replace Jeremy who will go to Michael Waltrip's Toyota team next year. Montoya replaces Mears who replaces Brian Vickers who will also go to Toyota in 2007. Robert Yates has been left high and dry, with both his veteran drivers leaving, Jarrett to Toyota and Sadler reportedly to Everham. And UPS is going with Jarrett. Kathy Beth and I met DJ and Jeff Gordon at DJ's car dealership in Hickory, NC back in 2004. Of course it was a Ford dealership, I'm wondering if he'll have to switch. I have to say that I have mixed emotions about these high-profile veteran drivers leaving their longtime teams for greener pastures (supposedly). I understand the younger drivers, like Vickers, because they haven't really built the loyal fan base the older drivers have, like Jarrett has: when you think of Jarrett, you think of Ford and UPS and 88. When I first started going to the races at Talladega, the Patton boys from Wellsville had been longtime Davey Allison fans. After he died in a helicopter crash at Talladega, the Patton's loyalty remained with the 28 car. They had a few lean times with Kenny Irwin, but Ricky Rudd gave it a hell of a run. It has been put on the shelf for a few years, which is probably for the best, until they can find a driver that is worthy of the number 28. Don't get me wrong, DJ is smart to get all he can from whomever he can, while he can. Loyalty to your employer and sponsor goes both ways, and right now it's a driver's market. But it's still surprising that the veteran drivers can walk away without looking back. Our Sister Sandwich this week goes to Denny Hamlin (heavy sigh) on his three-wide pass of Greg Biffle (ick) en route to tracking down eventual winner Kyle Busch. He ran out of gas crossing the finish line after a green-white-checkered, but he gave it a good short. Winning at Pocono (the spring race, which was 4 weeks ago in the middle of June!) for this rookie, Hamlin, was a surprise, but it won't be a second time. This is the track where Jeff was lucky to walk away from that horrific crash in turn one when his brakes failed. Hopefully he won't have too much trepidation in going back there, but you know it has to be in the back of his mind. Last night in Martinsville, there were hardly any people there! This is the race that was run at Pike's Peak until this year, they better get some promoting going if Martinsville wants to keep that race. Lots of Buschwackers there, Kevin Harvick won easily, after a record number of cautions. I'll pick Carl Edwards to win at Pocono, with Jimmie Johnson stalking all race long. Check out www.insidemotorsportskc.com for info on another race party, this time at Hooters near the Speedway for the August 4th Brickyard 400. (Sorry Allstate, it will always be the Brickyard to me). They should at least call it the Allstate Brickyard 400, for name recognition alone. Geez, do I have to tell these people everything?

July 15, 2006: "I ain't skeered of nuthin!" That was a bumper sticker we've printed at work, and it probably can be seen on any race car driver's ride. I was that way when I was younger, but many wrecks and near-wrecks over the years have tempered my need for speed with a healthy dose of caution. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride-along, wanted to go faster, but that was on "a closed course with a professional driver". I'm not scared to fly: when I fly, it's usually to a race, so it's definitely worth it. I'm not scared of heights; I'm a little claustrophobic, but I can usually deal with that, as long as I'm not stuck in a closed space for too long. The one thing that scares me: if something happens to me, what will happen to my pets? I have 4 dogs and 7 cats I'm responsible for, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I'm sure my seesters would make sure that they would be well cared for, but I do worry. I can't imagine having to worry about children. I think that is one reason why women haven't been as successful as men in racing. Frankly, and I'm going to hear about this from all sides, men are more selfish. Especially young men. It's a lot easier being on the edge of reckless when you're only thinking about yourself. Women are just not made that way. Not that there aren't plenty of divas in the world. But we are the nurturers, and when we put ourselves at risk, we put our families at risk, and I think that just goes against our nature. Even as the male drivers age, you see them being more responsible, and thus, more cautious. Youth is ignorant bliss: us old people know all the bad things that can happen. I believe women have all the physical and mental tools to be a successful race car driver, but I think as they get older, other priorities and responsibilities take precedence. In other words, they mature. And I'll just leave it at that. Oh by the way, did Matt Kenseth want me to call the Wa-a-a-ambulance? Last week, after Jeff booted him out of the way at Chicago (because Jeff was faster than him), I felt like Matt had plenty of reason to bitch. After all, he had led the most laps, and after he got spun, his day went downhill fast. He ran out of gas, and then, to top it all off, got into a last lap crash with David Stremme. But after hearing about it all week, at the Indy test, qualifying for New Hampshire, Happy Hour, he needs to move on. And perhaps settle it on the track. They've been talking all season about the 4-time champion being hungrier, it's not as easy for him to win these days, everyone has pretty much come up to his level now. Not like back in 1998 when Jeff won 13 races. Things are different now, and he has had to adjust also. The Sister Sandwich this week goes to Clint Bowyer, he and Michael Waltrip sandwiched Ryan Newman but good last week at Chicago, and Clint made the most of it and finished in the top 10. This flat track at New Hampshire again offers no passing, so fuel mileage and late race bumping and spinning should rule the day. Jeff has the best average finish here, and Jimmie and Ryan both swept here a couple of years ago. Ryan has the pole, ironically, his first of the year. Harvick and Jr. have both done well here. Tony should always be considered a contender, at every track, on any given day. I'm going to pick one of my least favorite drivers, just to show I don't let that cloud my judgment. I'll pick Kurt Busch to win, and Matt and Jeff to be right up there. That should make for some interesting drama."I ain't skeered of nuthin!" That was a bumper sticker we've printed at work, and it probably can be seen on any race car driver's ride. I was that way when I was younger, but many wrecks and near-wrecks over the years have tempered my need for speed with a healthy dose of caution. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride-along, wanted to go faster, but that was on "a closed course with a professional driver". I'm not scared to fly: when I fly, it's usually to a race, so it's definitely worth it. I'm not scared of heights; I'm a little claustrophobic, but I can usually deal with that, as long as I'm not stuck in a closed space for too long. The one thing that scares me: if something happens to me, what will happen to my pets? I have 4 dogs and 7 cats I'm responsible for, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I'm sure my seesters would make sure that they would be well cared for, but I do worry. I can't imagine having to worry about children. I think that is one reason why women haven't been as successful as men in racing. Frankly, and I'm going to hear about this from all sides, men are more selfish. Especially young men. It's a lot easier being on the edge of reckless when you're only thinking about yourself. Women are just not made that way. Not that there aren't plenty of divas in the world. But we are the nurturers, and when we put ourselves at risk, we put our families at risk, and I think that just goes against our nature. Even as the male drivers age, you see them being more responsible, and thus, more cautious. Youth is ignorant bliss: us old people know all the bad things that can happen. I believe women have all the physical and mental tools to be a successful race car driver, but I think as they get older, other priorities and responsibilities take precedence. In other words, they mature. And I'll just leave it at that. Oh by the way, did Matt Kenseth want me to call the Wa-a-a-ambulance? Last week, after Jeff booted him out of the way at Chicago (because Jeff was faster than him), I felt like Matt had plenty of reason to bitch. After all, he had led the most laps, and after he got spun, his day went downhill fast. He ran out of gas, and then, to top it all off, got into a last lap crash with David Stremme. But after hearing about it all week, at the Indy test, qualifying for New Hampshire, Happy Hour, he needs to move on. And perhaps settle it on the track. They've been talking all season about the 4-time champion being hungrier, it's not as easy for him to win these days, everyone has pretty much come up to his level now. Not like back in 1998 when Jeff won 13 races. Things are different now, and he has had to adjust also. The Sister Sandwich this week goes to Clint Bowyer, he and Michael Waltrip sandwiched Ryan Newman but good last week at Chicago, and Clint made the most of it and finished in the top 10. This flat track at New Hampshire again offers no passing, so fuel mileage and late race bumping and spinning should rule the day. Jeff has the best average finish here, and Jimmie and Ryan both swept here a couple of years ago. Ryan has the pole, ironically, his first of the year. Harvick and Jr. have both done well here. Tony should always be considered a contender, at every track, on any given day. I'm going to pick one of my least favorite drivers, just to show I don't let that cloud my judgment. I'll pick Kurt Busch to win, and Matt and Jeff to be right up there. That should make for some interesting drama.

July 9, 2006: Downforce. Without too much drag, the perfect scenario at this track. Good luck finding it. The only way to get the best of both of those worlds is to be out front, where the air is clean and wrapped around your car like a blanket. Out front good, in traffic bad. That's the big complaint about these intermediate tracks, like Chicagoland and Kansas, is you're battling drag instead of the other competitors. Maybe the Car of Tomorrow will help, the wing allowing downforce, but still letting the wind flow through without altering it too much for the cars that follow. It's great that these tracks are so fast, but they really need to generate some passing. Last night in the Busch race Kurt Busch probably had the car to beat, but he couldn't pass while in traffic. Casey Mears won on a fuel mileage gamble, the second time this year his Busch team has tried that. This time they were successful, although he did run out of gas before he could do his burnout. That's a bummer, his first top tier win and he doesn't get to celebrate in style. These are the type of tracks Jeff has struggled with so much in the last two years, and it's kind of a mystery. He dominated at Kansas the first two years, and he's always been good at Atlanta and Charlotte throughout his career. Hopefully they can find the handle, because he's running out of time. There are only 9 races left until the Chase, and it's real tight from 6th place on down. Jr. seems to be firmly ensconced in the top ten, NASCAR is probably breathing a sigh of relief that their Most Popular Driver won't be left out of the Chase this year. And deservedly so. But you all know how I feel about Jr. It's funny that Teresa finally gave him the rights to his own name. Gee, thanks Stepmom. I wonder if he can now watch TV and play video games, or if he's still grounded? I'm sure she's done a lot for DEI, and I think she and JR. have a pretty good relationship. But if I were Jr., I'd be saying "Look lady, I'm an Earnhardt by birth, unlike some of you..." I think Jr. does the Earnhardt name proud. Sr.'s legacy is in good hands. We had a great time at the Truck and IRL race last week. It was hot and dry, and there is still dust in places I can't reach. I was able to watch the Pepsi 400 Saturday night while I was cutting up my kabobs, but I'm not sure I wasn't watching it through my eyelids a large part of the time. So I'm not real clear about any of the passes for position to allow me to award the Sister Sandwich. But the most obvious, and unfortunate, sandwich at the race was the one Bobby Labonte got from Jimmie Johnson and the wall. Hello wall. Kurt and Kyle Busch trying to sandwich Tony would have been, um, not something that I want to think about, but Tony never let them get close enough. But doesn't Tony Stewart cut a fine figure on that flagstand? I sure hope he wins at Kansas, and he dives into our mosh pit! You may never see him again! He's funny, he said "I don't know why I do some of the stupid things I do." Because he's spontaneous and fun and doesn't really give a hoot about what anyone thinks. My kind of a driver. Or my kind of a man, for that matter! I've done so lousy on my picks, I've dropped in both my Night Shift, Day Shift, CDM fantasy leagues, I'm really not giving enough credence to the parity in the sport right now. There have been 10 different winners in 16 races this year at the Cup Level. So in light of that revelation, I'll pick Brian Vickers to win, and Bobby Labonte to run second. Or vice versa. I really have absolutely no clue.

July 1, 2006: Junior is a brave man. I'm watching the Busch race right now, he's leading by bunches, running right up against the wall. The wall that killed his Daddy. I don't mean to be morose, but I wonder if he thinks about that when he runs at Daytona. My respect for Junior increases with each race. He runs wide open all the time, mixes it up whenever he gets the chance. He's calm and cool and doesn't seem to get distracted by anything. They talk to him about how he's running, and what he needs to get better, and he doesn't miss a beat: "We need to get our car better, maybe we'll make a trac adjustment." This with him leading with a dominant car. Whether he wins or not is immaterial, he is a courageous young man that has obviously been raised right. This time of year, when we are all celebrating the Independence of our country, you just have to look at Dale Jr. to see America personified. A nice kid that makes no excuses, he is what he is. Not a bully, just a hint of cockiness, all he cares about is being competitive and having fun. We, as a country, could learn alot from him. A good ole boy who loves what he does and respects those who came before him. As a fan, it would be hard to lose Sr., I can't imagine how his family feels. Now a little about Jeff. My new and improved attitude: if getting married will make Jeff Gordon happy, that's all that matters. Ten years from now, when Jeff and I are cruising the South Seas on his yacht, 24 Karat, I'll refrain from saying "I told you so." If this is what he wants, or thinks he wants, far be it from me to stand in his way. The Sister Sandwich this week goes to Tony Stewart, with his inside pass on Boris Said at Infieneon. Tony lost his motor last week, but that didn't stop him from flexing his muscle at the road race where he's been so strong. I was so happy Jeff won, maybe this Belgium hussy will light a fire under him to win. Oh, that's right, I was going to be nice. The usual suspects this week at Daytona, Jr., Jimmie, Jeff, Tony. I'm thinking Jeff's momentum will catapult him to a win, where he'll win lots of money. Hope he had Ingrid sign a pre-nup. Some people never learn.

June 23, 2006: We're very excited about the upcoming Truck/IRL weekend at Kansas Speedway, and not just because of the exciting racing it always offers. It's the first tailgating of the year for most of us, time to dust off the coolers and grills and get after it. The weekend is chock-full of racing, Craftsman truck, ARCA & the Indy Racing League on Sunday. Squeezed in there is the Saturday night Cup race at Daytona. The IRL drivers have mandatory appearances at most of the tracks they go to, so they are very accessible. Some of the closest finishes in recent years have been in July in Kansas. Not everyone likes to watch open-wheel racing, but each race I've seen here has been exciting, competitive and FAST. We try to get halfway organized so we can go to the track and relax and enjoy ourselves. There is so much to see and do, you have to give yourself time to shop and gawk and take in all you can. On our road trips, we don't have much time for anything but a little bit of shopping and a lot of racing. Nothing ticks me off more than not getting to see the flyovers. So when the racing is at your home track, it can be a more leisurely experience. At least once you get there. Kathy Beth and Pam and Sheryl really know how to do it up right as far as organizing a tailgate, I'm a little more scatterbrained and have a hard time focusing on anything other than the race. I try, I really do, but it seems there is a reason I color my hair blonde, (besides hiding the gray). So I keep all my race stuff in one closet, that way I only had to be organized once! You get so much free crap at the races, I'll never have to buy Advil or Sharpies or insect repellent again for the rest of my life. One year at Talladega Winston was giving away a carton of cigarettes to every smoker that brought in an empty pack of cigarettes. One of the peeps ended up with 7 cartons of cigs, thanks to all of his nonsmoking friends. (Probably not the best thing you can do for a friend!) You end up with bags and bags of stuff, the sponsors really get some major exposure at these events. It's come to the point for me that I really don't need one other thing from the track, my closet is close to overflowing. But it's not in our nature to refuse free crap, so I guess I may need to start on the hall closet. Did you hear Jeff bitching at Jimmie last week at Michigan? Some people say that is a reflection of the meaner, leaner Jeff Gordon, but I'm not sure. Jeff said if it wouldn't have been so early on, he wouldn't have cared that Jimmie forced him to go three wide while passing, not just once but twice. To me, it didn't seem overly aggressive on Jimmie's part, and racing is racing. Come to find out, everyone had to be aggressive early, because they knew that rain was coming, and that the race might only go halfway. Jimmie seemed contrite after that, apparently he left the track without talking to the media. "Jeff, you've been a bad boy, go to my room!" It's was exciting watching him run up front again, but, as it's been lately, the pit calls of the 24 team have been suspect. They knew there was weather coming in, but chose to take 4 tires when other teams took two, and they lost too much track position. He should rebound this week at Sonoma, barring any mechanical failure. This will be quite a test for Tony and his broken shoulder, not only do they have to turn so often, but all the shifting won't be comfortable for him. Every year the road race ringers are given alot of press, but one has yet to win. Tony and Jeff are by far the favorites, with Robby Gordon is always tough here. Jr., Jimmie and Matt have really picked up their road race game, but Jr. is starting so far back, he'll have to have some luck and great pit strategy. Kurt Busch has the pole, and he's pretty fearless driving into the turns. Kevin Harvick has yet to win a road race, but I think he'll win this one. Making the cross country trip to the Busch race in Milwaukee probably won't take much of a toll, and I believe his personality lends itself to being best under that kind of pressure. Jeff Gordon gets the inaugural Sister Sandwich Award for his squeeze pass of David Stremme and Kasey Kahne last week in Michigan. I'm a vegetarian, but Jeff can be the meat in my sandwich anytime!

June 17, 2006: Never say never. That's something that life will teach you, and quickly. For years, multi-car teams with high profile sponsors have dominated the top three tiers of American stock car racing. And there's a reason for that. That's how it's suppose to work. Well-oiled machines, the Hendricks and the Rousch's and the Childress' and the Everham's. Cranking out victories for their superstar drivers and degreed crewman, money being no object. Never again would an unsponsored, one car team be able to compete at the top level. That's what makes it so cool about David Gilliland winning the Busch race last night. Unsponsored, running a limited schedule in the Grand National division, he pulled off a victory that will shake the series down to it's core. The Nextel Cup drivers, 8 of them were pulling the double duty, each had their chance. Throughout the race, the Nextel Cup teams used every strategy to try and win. Kyle Busch used up all his equipment (I've got to get that image out of my mind) trying to get to the lead when there was the threat of rain. JJ Yeley stayed out on old tires, but was unable to hold off Gilliland. Kevin Harvick spun early, and was unable to recover. And Carl Edwards never got out of 2nd gear. The stars were aligned for Gilliland last night, and it was fun to watch. Now, of course, he's no longer flying below the radar, One of the Cup series' star teams will grab him and groom him until either he soars into superstardom (Jimmie Johnson) or flames out with a sputter (Casey Atwood). But for one night in Kentucky, we were shown that David gets a lucky shot in on Goliath every once in a while. On to other things, have you ever noticed how many awards they give out for each race? I guess each sponsor has to come up with one of their own. You have the "Budweiser Pole Award", the "Bank of America Card Services Mid-Race Leader Award", the "Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award", the "Sunoco Diamond Performance Award", the "Commit Lozenges "Commit to Win" Award, the "Wix Filters Lap Leader Award", the "Clevite Engine Builder Award", you get the picture. I wonder if that's someone's sole job, to figure out who wins these awards? That would be a great job. So I am going to introduce a new award. Each week we will have "The Sister Sandwich Award", given to the driver who makes the best pass while in traffic, sandwiching himself into places he probably shouldn't be. Oh yeah, the pass has to be successful AND he can't wreck anyone while in the process of passing. If I can't make a decision, after consulting with my seesters, or if there's no pass worthy of a Sister Sandwich, the award will default back to Jeff, Jimmie or Tony. The Sister Sandwich may be given virtually, Nascarla is a genius with Photoshop. I realize I may, in the future, have to give the Biff or one of the Busch's a Sister Sandwich. I can guarantee you one thing, they'll never be the same! Ford has won twice as many races at MIS than the other manufacturers. This is all three of the automakers home track, it's very important for them to do well here. I should pick Matt or Mark or the Biff to win here, any of those three would be a logical choice, and all belong on your fantasy team this week. Kasey Kahne qualified first, but hit the wall in Happy Hour, and has quite a bit of damage. Jeff's hard hit last week may leave him a little cautious, which concerns me greatly. Honestly, Dale Jarrett has never been the same competitor since his crash at Kansas. It's hell getting old, isn't it? Yeah, thirtysomething is old when you're hitting a wall at 200 miles per hour. Ryan Newman won this race in 2004 with fuel mileage, starting all the talk about him having something extra in the tank, or maybe some extra tank! I'll pick Tony Stewart this week, to bring Chevrolet back to prominence in the Big D, and I don't mean Dallas.

June 10, 2006: I'm by no means a seasoned traveler, but I've been around the block a few times. Our goal at 3sisters is to visit each track on the Cup Circuit, and any other venues where opportunity presents itself. If we won the lottery, we could get 'er done in one season, following our favorite drivers around like good little groupies. But until then, we have to settle for the Kansas race and usually one other track in a year. Unfortunately, we are always so pressed for time, when we do travel, we don't get to do much sight-seeing, or really experience what each area has to offer. We usually see the sights from the window of our tour bus, creeping down a highway in heavy race traffic, with thousands of other race fans just like us. Or as was the case in Fort Worth, we got to know every inch of the road that connected our hotel with the liquor store. And we only made one trip to the liquor store! But it took 2 hours to go 7 miles. The person giving us directions sounded very sure of himself, and maybe he was correct, but something got lost in the translation. Or maybe it was the fact that we were laughing so hard, or that each of us are over 40, and can't see the map without our reading glasses and magnifying glass. It's hard to admire the sights when you're nose is stuck in a map, or you're doubled over in laughter. You don't really need a travel agent if you follow NASCAR, it will lead you down so many different paths, into every corner of this country, and beyond. I've never been to the Northeast, where this week's race is being held, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. When I do go to see the race at Pocono, I probably will see the track and the hotel and what lies between them. But it seems you still get a sense of the area, because each track has a different feel. It's like the uniqueness of the area and it's people are absorbed into the whole race experience. When I think of Bristol, it's with a welcoming sense of comfort and privacy that the little track nestled in the mountains provided. Talladega brings to mind a sense of recklessness, just on the edge of out of control, which always makes for an exciting visit. Texas was like it's people, laid back and accommodating, state-of-the-art with a touch of the Wild West. So for me, my travels will revolve around NASCAR, and I don't think I'll miss a thing. Last week, Matt Kenseth won at Dover, his usual patience paying off big time. And can you believe Jimmie, Jimmie, Jimmie? He really seems to be a driver of destiny this year, I doubt if he'll be denied this year. Jimmie's talent, Chad's brilliance, and a little luck will make their team hard to beat. Tony seems to be a little snake-bit this year, but we've said that before. Don't ever count him out. Darrell Waltrip remarked on how Jeff and crew chief Steve Latarte are not communicating very well, they just can't seem to get the adjustments right. Jeff denied it on Trackside, said that they just chased the car all day. I think the jury is still out on the chemistry between these two, but if he can just get into the chase, Jeff's experience and professionalism should be able to help them rise above any problems. Remember the wreck Jr. had here a few years ago, hitting the guard rail while crashing with Steve Park? It's a quirky track because each of it's 3 turns have different banking, and real long straight-aways, almost like a road course. I'm going to go with Jimmie Johnson to win, he's very strong here, and Hendrick Motorsports has always raced well here. Carl Edwards won the Busch Race at Nashville last night, and won here at Pocono last year, almost unheard of for a first timer, so he's probably primed to do another backflip. He just needs to harness his enthusiasm enough to be there at the end, to compete for the win. Hey, I wonder what Kyle Busch thinks of Casey Mears maybe going to Hendrick? Not only would they be teammates, but the 5 car and 25 car share a garage. Boy, having Jeff, Jimmie AND Casey as teammates has to be intimidating for Kyle, maybe that's why he acts like such a brat. It would be hard to get any attention with those three around!.

June 2, 2006: The opinions stated here are strictly those of the little seester. Kyle Busch is a jerk. He deserves all the punishment that NASCAR handed him, and more. 25 driver points, 25 owner points, and $50,000 in fines. I really don't know how he can even get his helmet, on, that chip on his shoulder is so big. Nascarla gets mad at me when I dis the Busch brothers, because she's a mother, and is very protective of children, even other mothers' children. I'm sure Mrs. Busch loves her children very much, and they are fabulous race car drivers. There comes a point when you have to take responsibility for your actions, and both Kurt and Kyle have a hard time doing that. Kurt tries real hard, but rarely comes across as sincere. Kyle doesn't even try. Many people say that Tony Stewart doesn't take responsibility either, that he always has an excuse for his actions. But, I believe, the barometer is in the garage. Tony has the respect of his fellow drivers, and they all seem to genuinely like him. It doesn't seem that way with the Busch brothers. Casey Mears summed it up best when told Kyle Busch threw the Hans device at him out of "frustration" at being caught up in Casey's spin: "Whatever." That wasn't Kyle's fault, he had nothing to apologize as far as the wreck is concerned. But, his actions afterwards showed his immaturity and lack of respect for authority, both of which will land him in even bigger doodoo one of these days. He acted like a spoiled little kid. He might as well of stuck his tongue out at Casey. But in his defense, he doesn't have much of a role model in his big brother. I'm so lucky that I have two wonderful big sisters that I try to emulate in every way. (Whatever!) Carla and Kathy tell me I'm the spoiled baby. I apologize right now if I have ever acted like that. I can pout with the best of them, and woe to them that hurt me needlessly or hurt someone I love. Sure, I was spoiled. Spoiled with love and affection. But that is no reason to throw temper tantrums every time you don't get your way or when you feel like someone made you look bad. You take responsibility for your bad choices and move on. I hope Kyle learns that fast, it would be hard to shed the image he's started to create for himself. Just ask his brother. Flyin' Ryan got the pole for today's race at Dover, surprisingly, his first pole of the season. This is possibly Ryan's best track, so look for him to make Mash out of the Monster. Jimmie Johnson says "I coulda been a contender" but after that crazy spin in qualifying, he'll be deep in the field. Kathy Beth had these comments about Jimmie, Jimmie, Jimmie: "only 2 people have every won starting outside the top 20, but if anyone can, Jimmie can!" What she said. Jeremy Mayfield and Jeff Burton have to be favorites. Ray Everham is starting to flex his muscles with his Dodge teams, and Jeff Burton showed last night in the Busch race that he could be back to his old form: winning. I remember back in the late 90s, Jeff Burton used to win so much I got mad at him: all his wins took away from MY Jeff's victories. But it's good to see Jeff B AND Childress back in the hunt, every week, in both Series. It's amazing what a Chevy can do for a guy's career! I'll pick Ryan to win, both Busch brothers should be real strong, but I just can't pick 'em. (See reasons above)

May 26, 2006: Lowe's Motor Speedway. Not your average "cookie cutter" track. It's smooth, slick and fast. Hmmm....sounds like my kind of...track. Charlotte does it up right, from Speed Street to the longest race on the circuit, the Coca-Cola 600; the whole week is a NASCAR race fans' dream. There are many reasons that Charlotte was really the only logical place for the Hall of Fame, it's where this strictly American sport laid down roots and grew into the phenomena that it is today. The fact that they have had trouble in recent years making the racing safe AND competitive at Lowe's is unfortunate. They've levigated, resurfaced, hard tire, soft tire, smaller fuel cells, you name it, they've tried it. Bring a soft tire, teams run no air pressure and tires blow. A hard tire, there is no grip, wicked hits to the wall and no passing results. Cars develop that dreaded aero-push, and it's follow the leader, who is in clean air and usually running away with the race. Getting in and out of pit road will be interesting today, with the smaller fuel cells, it will be a cluster each time they pit. Which will have to be often. The green flag stops will be especially tricky. The cars are going so fast, and to have to duck onto pit road under green without being hit from behind will be tight-butt city. Tony Stewart and Jamie McMurray took some hard hits last night in the Busch race, as did Jon Wood and Clint Bowyer. I'm a little concerned today about safety, they do have the safer barriers along most of the track. But I think we got lucky last year at Lowe's, in both races, that someone didn't get seriously hurt. I hope our luck doesn't run out today. Just like every other fan, I like a good crash now and then to stir things up. But when the track conditions are dictating every facet of the race, then that's just flat dangerous. Because teams and drivers are going to push the conditions to the limit, that's all they know how to do. I might have to sit Jeff out of my lineup this weekend on our www.3sistersracing.com Internet CDM fantasy league. He is starting to show a little more consistency on these intermediate tracks, and to repeat, this is not your typical 1.5 mile track. When Kathy and I were here in 2004, Jimmie won, of course, and Jeff just basically sucked. He finished like in 30th place, never could get the handle on his setup. This track has changed a lot since then, and it is what they call a thinking man's race. I can't go against JJ to win this race, there is no better thinking man than Chad Knaus. And Jimmie, for all his good looks and charming demeanor, is as smart as they come. Bobby Labonte and Matt Kenseth also have the mental aptitude and patience to pull this one off. Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards have the maturity beyond their years to be patient, barring any mechanical failures, they should be up there fighting for the win at the end. But, as Kathy Beth and Pam, the redheaded stepsister, constantly remind us, this is Jimmie's house, he rules it with an iron fist. But encased in that velvet glove, it is so smooth and subtle, you don't even realize that you're getting beat.Lowe's Motor Speedway. Not your average "cookie cutter" track. It's smooth, slick and fast. Hmmm....sounds like my kind of...track. Charlotte does it up right, from Speed Street to the longest race on the circuit, the Coca-Cola 600; the whole week is a NASCAR race fans' dream. There are many reasons that Charlotte was really the only logical place for the Hall of Fame, it's where this strictly American sport laid down roots and grew into the phenomena that it is today. The fact that they have had trouble in recent years making the racing safe AND competitive at Lowe's is unfortunate. They've levigated, resurfaced, hard tire, soft tire, smaller fuel cells, you name it, they've tried it. Bring a soft tire, teams run no air pressure and tires blow. A hard tire, there is no grip, wicked hits to the wall and no passing results. Cars develop that dreaded aero-push, and it's follow the leader, who is in clean air and usually running away with the race. Getting in and out of pit road will be interesting today, with the smaller fuel cells, it will be a cluster each time they pit. Which will have to be often. The green flag stops will be especially tricky. The cars are going so fast, and to have to duck onto pit road under green without being hit from behind will be tight-butt city. Tony Stewart and Jamie McMurray took some hard hits last night in the Busch race, as did Jon Wood and Clint Bowyer. I'm a little concerned today about safety, they do have the safer barriers along most of the track. But I think we got lucky last year at Lowe's, in both races, that someone didn't get seriously hurt. I hope our luck doesn't run out today. Just like every other fan, I like a good crash now and then to stir things up. But when the track conditions are dictating every facet of the race, then that's just flat dangerous. Because teams and drivers are going to push the conditions to the limit, that's all they know how to do. I might have to sit Jeff out of my lineup this weekend on our www.3sistersracing.com Internet CDM fantasy league. He is starting to show a little more consistency on these intermediate tracks, and to repeat, this is not your typical 1.5 mile track. When Kathy and I were here in 2004, Jimmie won, of course, and Jeff just basically sucked. He finished like in 30th place, never could get the handle on his setup. This track has changed a lot since then, and it is what they call a thinking man's race. I can't go against JJ to win this race, there is no better thinking man than Chad Knaus. And Jimmie, for all his good looks and charming demeanor, is as smart as they come. Bobby Labonte and Matt Kenseth also have the mental aptitude and patience to pull this one off. Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards have the maturity beyond their years to be patient, barring any mechanical failures, they should be up there fighting for the win at the end. But, as Kathy Beth and Pam, the redheaded stepsister, constantly remind us, this is Jimmie's house, he rules it with an iron fist. But encased in that velvet glove, it is so smooth and subtle, you don't even realize that you're getting beat.

May 19, 2006: Growing up, May was always a very active month, with graduations, proms, class reunions and the end of the school year. Now, thirty years later, I find myself just as busy, the activities have just changed a little. Instead of being concerned about what I was going to wear to prom, or if there was going to be a party after graduation, I'm concerned with who to start on my fantasy racing team, and whether or not I've got the DVR set up for the right time to record the All-Star Challenge Saturday night. The Wellsville High School Class of 1976 will have their 30 Year Reunion tonight, and because I was the Secretary of our Senior Class (I think!) I was kind of in charge of planning something. My friend DIane (Moherman) Angell and I did our best to throw something together, hopefully everyone will have a good time. Not that I don't want to see my (old!) classmates after thirty years, but dad gummit, there's a NASCAR race on Saturday night. I hope my classmates know how much of a sacrifice this is for me, to miss a race and actually have a social activity that doesn't involve racing. Last week at Dave and Buster's, it was evident that the 3 sisters and the redhead stepsister (Pam Hardeman) lack the attention span to multi-task: watch the race and socialize at the same time. Thankfully, our friends realize how obsessed we are and usually turn a blind eye to what could be considered rude behavior. Hopefully my former classmates will also forgive me if I seem distracted tonight, but I will be counting the hours when I get home and can watch the race. At this point in my life, racing IS my life, and that's just fine with me. Sometimes you just have to focus on what makes you happy, and don't sweat the big stuff. The big stuff will eventually sort itself out, one way or the other. To get back to the racing, the All-Star race is considered to be one of the most fun for the drivers, because anything goes! It's broken up in 3 segments: 40 laps, 30 laps, and the last 20 laps to determine the winner. In 1998, Terry Labonte was spun by Senior the last lap, still managed to cross the finish line first. A few years back Jeff Burton's crew chief (Frank Stoddard?) made a bold move, pitting on the last lap, so when he left pit road he was ahead of the field and only had 3/4 of a lap to hold them off. It almost worked, but that just shows you how inventive teams can get when there is so much money at stake. Also they don't have to worry about the points, or as they like to say, "big picture racing". Jimmie is back in his house, it would be hard to make anyone the favorite but him. Jeff and Matt are always there when the stakes are high, and Jr. won here as a rookie in 1999. But I'm going to pick Tony Stewart. He's yet to win an All-Star race, and contrary to what some say, this is an important notch in your belt as far as a NASCAR Cup career is concerned. In 2006, in Nextel Cup, Tony's star is at it's zenith, shining a little brighter than the rest. He has kicked it up in the last couple of years. I would be surprised if in the next several years that he doesn't rival Jeff Gordon as the best driver of his generation. He certainly has the ability to add two more championships to his resume. I don't know about 7 total, like Richard Petty or Senior, that might be impossible nowdays with all the parity in the sport, but he has already carved his place into racing history, as one of the best drivers of all time.

May 13, 2006: Some beach...somewhere... that's what comes to mind this week as NASCAR goes to Darlington. I logged on to NASCAR.com this week, and the first thing I saw was an advertisement to make last minutes plans to stay in Myrtle Beach for the race weekend. Kathy and I took a small detour to the Atlantic when we went to Charlotte in 2004. We were hoping to visit when we traveled to Darlington in 2002, but there was a hurricane sitting off the coast, plus we didn't have as much time. Myrtle Beach is about 70 minutes from Darlington, but well worth the trip if you have the time. The week we were there was sandwiched in between the big motorcycle rally and Memorial weekend, so we had the beautiful beach pretty much to ourselves. I was curious why the Darlington area is sand hills, they were talking about all the sand and grit on the track. Being that close to the coast, it now makes sense. Darlington was Kathy Beth's first road trip, Jimmie Jimmie Jimmie's rookie year, and Jeff won the race, just for me! (Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.) It's an old, old track, and doesn't have quite the amenities as some of the newer tracks like Kansas and Texas, but it is steeped in tradition. It's unfortunate that they lost their Southern 500, but the fans seem to have rallied around the old girl and have sold out their one remaining race each spring. We're going to go on our ride-along today at the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Kansas Speedway, then off to Dave and Buster's for 3 of our peeps Birthday party. Kathy Beth, Pam Hardeman, and Steve Stickney all have May Birthdays, it's always interesting when the 3 Taurus' get together. Let's just say they are all quite "bullish" about their drivers. Last week Thad picked the eventual winner Jr., as a threat to win. This week I can't imagine the Hendrick boys won't be a threat to win. Although experience is very important at this track, Busch winner Denny Hamlin didn't let lack of that stop him from holding off veterans Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray and Mark Martin. It was evident last night that quick pit work will be important tonight, as well as pit selection. It will be interesting to see if Kasey Kahne can continue his pole-to-victory lane streak, it's amazing that the 3 races he has won at the Cup level have been from the pole. It's obvious he knows what to do with a fast car and clean air. "Course it's easier to keep your nose clean (literally) when you're out front.

May 5, 2006: Rain, rain go away. Nascarla gets mad at me because I'm always concerned about drought, and usually say "we need the moisture". After all, some people's livelihood depends on the right amount of moisture. Most of the local tracks had to cancel this weekend, I-70 is racing tonight, but Lakeside, Linn County, Valley Speedway all got rained out. The Busch race at Richmond was red-flagged until late because of the rain, but it looks like the weekend will be sunny and shouldn't have any problem running Saturday night. Last Monday, when they ran Talladega, we had to go to work Monday night, and I had to listen to the last few laps on MRN. It's still exciting, but it's hard to unwind after the race when you have to shift gears and do your real job. We are having so much fun with our website, we don't have time to work! But because it's a nonprofit endeavor (the website, I mean) we can't quit our real job. But we are able to channel our creativity into our passion: racing. Every person needs to express themselves, we are very fortunate that we have found an outlet. For me, every weekend is an event when there is a race, and if there is not, or it gets rained out or postponed, it's kind of depressing. But this weekend looks good as far as the big boys are concerned, and also a different sort of racing this weekend: the Kentucky Derby. A little less horsepower, but it is racing. I grew up obsessed with horses, read everything I could about horses, dreamed about horses, horses, horses, horses. Every Christmas and Birthday I would go out to the garage, sure that Mom had managed to get me my dream horse. But that never happened, as a single parent, Mom struggled just to keep food on the table, and a horse was too expensive. She always felt bad about not being able to afford a horse for us, but I did my best to understand. Nascarla and I worked for a horse stable in our teenage years, was able to get our horse fix to a certain extent. One summer, when Mom was in Colorado, Carla bought a horse named Gunga Din from the Stockstills south of town. Just getting the horse home was an experience, we rode him back to town, had a hell of a time getting him to go over the train viaduct. Later she bought a beautiful Foxtrotter named Blaze from the stable we worked for, she went on to win many shows on that beautiful sorrel. Nascarla raised her kids with horses, Shannon is a fabulous rider who still barrell races whenever she gets the chance. So horses are in our blood, it's no wonder that at some point, we switched to a different kind of horsepower. Being a racing fan is a little less expensive, and not near as high maintenance as having horses. The thoroughbreds that run in the Derby are athletes just like the auto racers, they live to run and win. If anyone ever watched Secretariat or Cigar run, you know what I mean. Secretariat was a perfect specimen for his breed, he was bred for speed and stamina. Cigar had the heart of a champion, it was like he had an extra gear that he switched on to power past horses for the lead. It's an exhilarating thing to watch. To know you are witnessing extraordinary athletes doing extraordinary things, the best the sport has to offer. Just like motorsports, if you know how much work and skill and athletic prowess are needed for the competitors to get to the highest level, you can appreciate the racing all the more. Nowadays, when I see Jeff switch into his extra gear, like last year at Talledaga in the spring race, it's like I'm a little girl again, dreaming of, obsessing about... Hey, I'm going to go check the garage! Maybe this big girl's dream is about to come true!

April 29, 2006: It's hard to be sitting at home while they're racing at Talladega. I've cleaned the house, grocery shopped, did the laundry, walked the dogs, taken a nap, taken a bath, read my NASCAR scene, and paid my bills. I've listened to the Racin' Boys, watched Busch qualifying, Cup Happy Hour, Trackside, NASCAR Live, Cup qualifying, and I'm fixing to watch the Busch race. The weekend is always special, but this weekend, with Senior being honored today as a member of the International Hall of Fame, and the DEI cars running the black paint schemes, I really wish we could have been there. I went as far as contacting Jack Stoner of Action Jackson to see if there were tickets available. They were, but I couldn't find anyone to go with me. Not that I could afford it, but sometimes you have to be spontaneous. Perhaps it's because Talladega was the first track I ever went to (for a Cup race), but there is nothing like it, nowhere, nohow. Some many good times have been shared there, with my seesters, my friends, people I just met, and people I've know my whole life. My cousin Steve talked Diane Angell and I into going in 1998. I had been watching Cup and Busch racing on TV, Jeff was firmly ensconced as my favorite driver, I was ready to take the next step as a fan. That Spring race truly changed my life. We sat on the front row at the start/finish line, 43 strong in our "200mph Freight Train" matching flourescent t-shirts. Cousin Steve Layton, and his wife Donna, made all the arrangements, and that is a lot of work. Everything went smoothly, thanks to their organizational skills, and we were all able to enjoy every moment without hassle. Sr. and Bill Elliott crashed right in front of us that year, Sr. slid along the banking on his top, radiator fluid spraying us, rubber pelting us, and parts of Elliott's car went home with us as souvenirs. After the cup race we we're able to go down on the track, picking up lug nuts and one of the group even got a tire! Back then they had cooler races, fans would take their coolers and ride down the banking on them, crashing and bumping just like the competitors. Saturday night was always fun in Alabama, we would go to the bar at our hotel, that was the place to be. At this point I need to talk about our peeps from Freeman, Missouri. There were 6 or 7 of them from Freeman that would go to Talladega every year, quite possibly the whole male population of Freeman. During the following years, life happened for most of "Freeman", but their legend lives on at Jitterbugs in Birmingham. Bobby Labone won that first race that I attended, he started from the pole, and when the dust cleared, he took the checkered flag. I've seen Sr. win there in 1999, the one and only time I saw the Intimidator win a Cup race. I've seen Jeff win there twice, (and I've heard him booed there soundly) last year was extra special with my friends and seesters there. In 2000 he passed Sr. in the grass with 10 laps to go, powering his way to the front in an incredible show of muscle. I've never seen Jr. win, but maybe next year. Wouldn't it be fun to see Jr. win with his black paint scheme, honoring his father? Thad's picked him to win, saying that while we want our favorite drivers to do well, Jr. has most of us on his side this weekend. The soft bumpers are an unproven element, it might stop the slam-bumping, but it could also become a weapon for the more aggressive, yet inexperienced drivers (Kyle Busch). If you check up in front of someone, on purpose, you could ruin their day. They might use more side-drafting, which will create a lot of dancing around at the mammoth track. Hopefully the weather will hold off until tonight, and then clear out of here by tomorrow morning. Because if they don't race tomorrow, I might have to find something to do, like clean out my closets.

April 15, 2006: Hindsight is 20/20. Last night Kathy Beth and I were talking about our trip to Texas Motor Speedway a couple of weeks ago, and there are a few things we would have done different. Don't get me wrong, it was exciting and fun and some of the best days of my life. Every trip to the races is one of those favorite days. But Kathy Beth said the whole trip seems like a blur, it went so fast, and we're just now getting back to normal. (As normal as 3sisters can be.!) Our first mistake, as far as we're concerned, is not leaving right after work. Not only would Thad had been able to go, but we probably would have gotten more track time. NASCarla, Pam, Randy, Thad and I work nights, so we were worried about getting sleep, if we left at 2am in the morning. But the night before a road trip to a race is like Christmas eve: you toss and turn in anticipation, and I don't think any of us got any sleep.. We might as well of been driving! As it was, we didn't get to the track until minutes before the IROC race started, so there was no time to shop and take advantage of all the free crap that they give away, a huge perk for any race fan. Then after Trackside, we still hadn't found our hotel in Arlington. By that time we were running on pure adrenaline, which makes for a bunch of silly people. And the fact that we were on a tour, the rest of the weekend we were hoofing it around that massive facility just trying to keep on their schedule. That's why it's so nice to camp at the Woodlands during the Kansas races, you're right there at the track, it's just a matter of catching the last shuttle back to the campground before they pack it up for the night. Many people talk about how expensive it is to go to a Nextel/Busch weekend race. But in my view, it's well worth the money, a fairly inexpensive vacation. Not counting spending money, we spent about $600 for a weekend chockful of our favorite pastime: 3 races, Nextel Cup Happy Hour, meeting lots of fun people, and laughing until our sides hurt. Any race fan that has never been to a live race needs to put that on their calendar. Randy Meeder coined the best phrase the years we went to Talladega, anything goes, because "I'M ON VACATION'. I'd like to be at Phoenix this weekend, sounds like perfect weather, and last night at the Busch race it seemed to be really good racing. We're working on an awesome idea for Kansas this fall, 3sistersracing.com is going to kick it up a notch and try to do what we do best: promote racing for the above average fan. We'll let you know the details if it all comes together, if not in 2006, we'll work our hardest to make it happen next year. Tonight, after a week off, we get to watch the big boys do some fender-rubbin' on a short track under the lights. To paraphrase Elton John: Saturday night'st allright for racing!

April 5, 2006 - Happiness is Texas in our front view. 3sistersracing.com and her posse are making the road trip down I-35 this weekend, and we couldn't be more excited. Half the fun is the anticipation of the trip, and I'm sure everyone we work with or are in contact with are a little tired of hearing about it. So I would like to say thank you to all our peeps that put up with our obsession. Right now I'm watching the rerun of the Martinsville race, getting in the mood, which doesn't take much. I lived in West Texas for 3 years back in the oil boom years, and you can't find a nicer bunch of neighbors. We're going to practice our Texas drawl on the way down, it's amazing how you develop that speak without realizing it. I've lived in Texas, Minnesota and California, I've been a Rebel and a Yankee and Valley Girl, experiencing Americana at it's best. The culture of NASCAR embraces all of these lifestyles, plus more. I'm very proud to be a part of this sport, even if it's just as a fan. Check out Thad's prognastication's, so far every winner has been a Threat to Win. And of course, I am leading in our "All Night Long" Fantasy Night Shift League, so we are pretty smart, aren't we? I really want to see Matt, Jr.,Tony or Jimmie win, so Thad, Randy, Nascarla and Pam can see their driver's win at the track. There is nothing more exciting. In fact, I've seen Jeff win at Talladega twice, Kansas twice, and Darlington once. Kathy's seen Jimmie win at Charlotte. Jeff's never won at Texas, so I would love to see that, the whole experience will be such a rush. I can't really concentrate, so I'll cut this Take short. It's probably a good thing there is not a race next weekend, we can regroup. I have an exciting idea for Kansas, we'll try to get it together and 3sistersracing.com will let you know.

April 1, 2006: Jeff Gordon's famous "Bump and Run" on Rusty Wallace at Bristol may have come back to bite him. Obviously it worked so well in 2002 that other drivers decided they needed that move in their short track arsenal. Kurt Busch seems to have perfected it, Matt Kenseth's version needs a little work. The idea is to bump the car in front of you out of the way, WITHOUT crashing them! Actually, Matt is now my second favorite driver, he seems like a classy guy, and he says the funniest things. Last week at the Busch race, when he passed Kyle Busch after nudging him out of the way, he told his spotter to tell Kyle's spotter that "he didn't want to hear a peep out of Busch." Now that was funny, I don't care who you are! I think Jeff's fine is justified, but to put the four time champion on probation scares me a little. Especially when Jeff is determined to be more aggressive, as he stated this week. Everyone is kidding me about him keeping his helmet on when he shoved Matt, like he was skeered or something. He ain't skeered of nuthin!! If you ever listen to Jeff's frequency at a race, you know that he isn't always as he appears. Behind that sophisticated, GQ exterior (which is very nice I might add) is a good 'ole boy who only wants to win. Like the other 42 racers out there, and the 10 or 12 that didn't qualify. And the thousands all across the country. Whether it's factory stock or Nextel Cup, I so admire their commitment. Some have more talent than others, some have more money than others, but if you don't have that will to win, you won't be there long. Sometimes drivers get burned out when their will cannot find a way, I totally understand that. I can't even imagine putting all that work, time and energy into going to the track and getting punted on the first lap and your car is destroyed and your night is over! I'm afraid I would take that very personally. We sit with the Walker's at Lakeside on Friday nights, and if the #19 Walker Automotive modified gets in a wreck, or has mechanical failure, or fails to run well, they all take it in stride and come back the next week. I'd be cussing and whining and bitching, pointing fingers, how disappointing. I guess it's a good thing I'm just a fan. NASCarla and I were talking last night about how to watch a race, why it intrigues us. Last night at Lakeside, the TORA late models were there, and I didn't know many of the drivers. That makes it a different kind of race to watch, no real favorites to cheer on, not really sure what to expect. What I like to do is to find a race on the track, watch how the drivers jockeying for position go into each corner, where they pick up their speed, if they go high, or stay low. One of the mistakes some first-time race fans make is watching only the leaders. I believe that's where the misconception of auto racing being boring comes from, "all they do is go around in circles." The races within the race are where you learn to enjoy this sport. Last week, Thad picked Jeff to win, but HIS driver, Matt, bumped Jeff out of the way, after he was bumped by the eventual winner, Thad's threat to win, Kurt Busch. Every race is a crap shoot to pick a winner, there are 43 different drivers, at least 20 of them are legitimate contenders. That's why playing fantasy racing is so much fun, and so frustrating.

March 25, 2006; Smoky Mountain snow? That's not how the song goes, but that's what they were dealing with at Bristol today. And last night. I've only been into NASCAR seriously for 12 years, but I've never seen it snow on a race weekend. In 2001, they postponed the New Hampshire race due to the terrorist attacks September 11. They ran the race on Thanksgiving weekend, it was cold, but geez, no snow. I wonder if Goodyear brought their all-season radial? I guess chains or studded tires are out of the question? (They'll probably need to bring those to Lowe's.) Those were some hardy souls there, the fans, the drivers, the crews, even the media, all bundled up. But I bet the fans up in nosebleed this weekend now know the meaning of "wind chill". In 2003 Kathy and I went to Bristol for the August race, no danger of snow at that race! It's a beautiful track, nestled in the Tennessee mountains, but make sure you bring your walking shoes. You gotta pack a lunch just to get to your seat, and woe to the race fan that's parked at the opposite end of their section. Because it's a short track, but has over 160,000 seats, everything has to be built either up or out. They said yesterday it was the world's largest stadium. When Kathy and I went to the Sharpie 500, our tour bus parked on the opposite side of where we were to be seated. The tour manager told us we needed to be back to the bus 30 minutes after the race, which seemed realistic at the time. We had met a nice couple from Montana during the tour, so the four of us headed to our seats, anticipating a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the world's fastest half-mile. Thirty minutes later we arrived at the stadium, realizing our journey had just begun, and that we had way overpacked! Between the four of us, we weren't in the best shape: I have asthma, Kathy has rheumatoid arthritis, our male friend smokes, and his wife had two steel plates in her leg where she had been hit by a bus when she was a child. So we proceeded to trudge (I don't think I have ever trudged before) to our seats, but we couldn't seem to find a straight shot. Up and down, back and forth, it was like a maze. At one point we were on this narrow catwalk high above the stadium, trying not to look down, hoping not to lose our balance and plummet to our deaths. It was like a Mission Impossible movie, except there was no exciting music and none of us where as lithe and daring as Tom Cruise. We cried in relief as we finally reached our seats, and let the thrill of the race take us away for a few hours. When the race was over (Kurt Busch won), it was time to go back to the tour bus. The 30 minutes time limit didn't seem so realistic any more. And we flat hoofed it, dragging each other when one stumbled, breaking trails through thousands of trudging (there's that word again) fans who apparently didn't have a time limit. We finally reached our destination, scrambled onto the bus breathless but triumphant...and we were the last ones to get there. They were all waiting for us, and not too happily. I swear the rest of them never got off the bus. They couldn't of, unless they were beamed back to the bus by Scotty after the race. Bristol is a great facility that puts on an awesome race, but when you go, make sure you can make it a leisurely stroll back to the bus. Last week Thad picked eventual winner Kasey Kahne to be a threat to win, his pick to win, Greg Biffle led the most laps, but Biffle-like, he had trouble at the end of the race. He seems a little snake bit this year, maybe he uses up his car too much by leading all those laps all the time. During the Busch race this weekend he lead a bunch of laps, only to have a loose wheel on the last pit stop. Hopefully there will be a passing groove up high at the Cup race, we need 500 laps of exciting racing. And Bristol should provide it.

March 18, 2006; If you are woman, and haven't really got into racing, either NASCAR or any other level, take a gander at the cover of the ESPN magazine this month. Carl Edwards, local driver out of Columbia, MO, is a one fine specimen of a man. Love racing or not, no one can deny that THAT is the body of an athlete. Then I turn on the Busch race, they are talking to Kevin Harvick,he's looking a little scruffy with his day-old beard, that is hot too! It's almost too much...OK, I'll concentrate on the racing. Last night's truck race was exciting, as usual, with Todd Bodine finally winning after playing second fiddle to Mark Martin the first two races of the year. That squeeze pass Bodine and Martin put on the lapped car of Peters was the stuff that highlight reels are made of, it was fun to witness it, even if it was on TV. Both drivers ended up sideways and made incredible recoveries to straighten out their race cars and keep diggin'. I have mixed feelings about Cup drivers running the Truck and Busch series. On one hand, as a fan, I want to see the best racers competing on every level; on the other hand it may stifle some of the up and coming drivers trying to develop their talent. Mark Martin said that if a driver's goal is eventually to compete in Nextel Cup, it would be good to run with them as much as possible. And the top teams are going to have the best equipment and best talent, no matter what series they are running. Everything has changed, and the past is not likely to be revisited anytime soon. And really, all the sponsors are going to benefit if Cup drivers are in the race, there will be so much more exposure for everyone. The Busch race just got over, Jeff Burton ran real strong, he's having a great start to the season. I wonder if the tire issues will continue tomorrow? Goodyear might not have brought the right tire, I hope it doesn't end up like Lowe's last fall, where everyone was blowing tires. It's not a good thing to have tires exploding and fenders disintegrating and radiator-piercing debris flying. No, that's not a good thing. Brian Vickers lost an engine in qualifying, Kathy Beth and I are keeping our fingers crossed that it won't be a Hendrick curse this weekend. I told Thad and Kathy Beth that I was getting a little bummed because Jeff just doesn't seem to be competitive at a level that I'm used to, it's a real drag not to have your driver gunning for the win every week. I can't imagine how Jeff and his team feel, I don't know the answer. All you Earnhardt Jr. fans know where I'm coming from. Maybe Jeff needs to do a little less jet-setting and yachting and get back to concentrating on racing. Please, for my sake! Let's see how Thad did last week on his Lucky 7 picks: He picked Jeff Burton to win, and he ran stout all day and finished 7th. He also picked Matt and Jimmie as threats to win, which Jimmie did on the last lap, the last turn, what an exciting finish. Carl didn't fare so well, finishing 26th, but damn he looks good! I see on the 3sistersracing.com post that NASCarla has the hots for Kasey Kahne, it seems she's having a hard time concentrating on the racing as well. But when the green flag drops, we'll be all business, the business of racing, I promise!

March 11, 2006: This week's take: I don't like this idea of having two races, then an off week. It would be better if the Nextel cup would take a week off after Daytona, not only for the drivers and teams, but there is so much racing that week that us fans wouldn't feel like we missed anything. But you get excited about racing, then you're cut off! I've heard they are really going to revamp the schedule for next year, be prepared for some tracks to get a race taken away in favor of more competitive racing. Unless California reconfigures their track to make for better racing, they might be in trouble as far as having two races is concerned. Bring back Rockingham! Maybe even North Wilkesboro. Definitely Darlington for two races. Nascar is experiencing some growing pains, obviously, but like everything else, I imagine it will cycle back around to it's roots. Taking races away from one saturated market to larger TV markets seems like a good plan on paper, but fans can be fickle and finicky, not matter what sport. All the 3 sisters have lived out in California, we were all married to Marines at one time. There is so much to do out there, the beach, the mountains, all the attractions in Orange County itself can keep you busy for years. But a race fan wants to watch competitive racing. We'll put up with a lot: traffic snarls, poor amenities, long treks to the tracks, as long as the racing is good. ISC and SMI can build their new state-of-the-art facilities all over the country, but if the racing is not competitive, it will be only a couple of years before the new wears off for the core fans. Personally, I'll watch any race anywhere anytime. I'd just as soon not see Greg Biffle out in front by 3 seconds, looking like he's on a Sunday drive. But now if that was Jeff Gordon... I don't really have any answers, I will continue to enjoy going to races, hopefully visiting every track on the circuit in Nextel cup. Wherever that takes me.

March 4, 2006: We're starting a new page about our preparations for our road trip to Texas this April. Not only do we get to see the Busch and Nextel cup race, but there's an IROC race Friday night, which we hope we'll get to the track on time for that. If the first IROC race at Daytona this year is any indication, it should be a rough and rowdy time in Texas. Many people think that Nextel Cup is soon going to be like IROC, where all the cars are alike, with just the drivers making the difference. I think the IROC series has shown just what it set out to do, and that's to showcase the skills of a diverse group of auto racers. And the diversity makes for some interesting races. The stock car racers definitely have an edge, but the open wheel guys and Outlaws have the skills and courage to make every race competitive. Texas is fast, one of the fastest on the circuit. This is the track where the CART race was canceled a few years ago because the speeds were such that the drivers were blacking out from the G forces! We saw Senior win a IROC race at Talladega in the late 90s, he was as dominate in an IROC car as he was in a stock car. Mark Martin has always run well in IROC, he just had the misfortune of getting caught up early in a wreck at Daytona. Matt won the race, and made his car track-wide racing to the finish, holding off Truex Jr. for the green-white-checkered flag. Matt may not be one of the flashiest drivers, but he's one of the most skilled. And in the IROC series, that's what counts. Oh, that and avoiding trouble.
Did you catch that qualifying in Mexico City? Some of those drivers looked like a fish out of water. Last year Jon Wood had maybe one of the best quotes of all time in auto racing: "I feel like Jed Clampett in Beverly Hills", regarding his first trip to Mexico City's road course. And this year, he turned such a good practice lap people were claiming that he missed the "Chicane". Speaking of "Chicane", I'm not sure how Larry McReynolds' mouth forms that word. I wonder if he practices that in front of a mirror? He makes Darrell Waltrip look wordly. Don't get me wrong, I'll take Fox over NBC anytime, and I appreciate the fact they have good ole Southern boys broadcasting the race. It's sometimes comical to watch them trying to assimilate into what has become the cosmopolitan world of NASCAR. Could you tell most of those girls that were draped all over Hammond and Bergman couldn't speak a word of English? They just smiled and looked pretty and nodded alot, which I guess is what they were suppose to do. Boris Said has the pole, I have yet to see a "Road Race Ringer" won a Busch or Cup race. I know they have, lately (meaning in the last 6 or 7 years) it just seems they always either have engine trouble or get caught up in someone else's misfortune. It just goes to show you that the top two tiers of NASCAR, the Cup and Busch series, have the best, most well-rounded drivers. You can bring on all the ringers you want, but the Tony Stewarts and Jeff Gordons and Martin Truex Jrs., are going to bring it every time, be it road course, oval, short track, flat track, restrictor plate track. I expect Kyle Busch to do well today, he won't get as impatient on a course like this, because every part of the track will require his attention. Martin Truex is not here to defend his title from last year, so the race is wide open. Next week Thad is going to starting making predictions for the winner of the races, we'll see how he does. He usually wins most of our fantasy leagues, has a real knack for picking winners. Not to put any pressure on him, because my predictions are certainly not much of an act to follow.

Feb. 25, 2006: This week at work our VP of Operations, Tom LeTourneau, talked to us about balancing our lives to be more productive on the job and off. Focusing on one aspect of your life, be it your job, family or hobby, can lead to burnout. True words, but 3sistersracing is immune to that, as far as racing is concerned. The last two weeks has been all we have ever dreamed of! The only thing that could have topped it would be if Jeff Gordon had sky-written his love for me over the Daytona Speedway. From the Watch Party to Terry Bivins announcing that he was coming out of retirement, it's been a surreal start to the 2006 racing season. My apologies to my non-race fan friends and family who have to put up with me going on and on about my passion. And to all the others - no apologies. I just wish you had something as important to you as I do, so you wouldn't have to be so concerned about me. OK, I got that off my chest, let's talk racing. It is such a big deal about Terry. And to run a Grand National, we'll all be treated to some good, old-fashioned rubbin' is racin'. I can't wait until Terry and Robert Brown start beating and banging, Robert has the same attitude Terry did in his younger days: tenacious, raw talent, teetering on the edge of out of control. A blast to watch. Just come out to Lakeside & see. The Daytona Watch party was also a blast, and almost out of control! My boss, Brian Schendt, won the Grand Prize, 6 tickets to the Grand Cayman island! And he's taking 3sisters! Brian won the prize by winning the NASCAR Trivia game, which makes him like, I don't know, the King of NASCAR? The Czar of NASCAR? The Best Boss in the whole world? Oh wait, I don't really have to suck up so much, he's already taking me! Thanks to Brian and his wife Dianne, who have always put up with us and our passion for racing. We've been listening to Blake Shelton's "Some Beach, Somewhere", every time we get a little stressed we "picture ourselves right there." The Inside Motorsports 610am crew made all the right calls, and all the race fans (and racers!) there came out the winners. There was a little scuffle between a couple of Matt Kenseth fans and one Tony Stewart fan, wonder why NASCarla didn't go help him? Of course, she would have been fighting all day, with the havoc Tony left in his wake. I honestly think Tony owes Matt an apology, remember Jr. was black-flagged and fined for stating that he intentionally spun to bring out a caution. To say you intentionally wrecked another driver because "he started it" deserves some punishment. I know an apology wouldn't change anything, but it would help Tony put it to rest, which he claims he wants to do. I like Tony Stewart, he's an awesome racer, he just seemed to have lost it a little last weekend. I think Chad's fine and suspension was indeed justified, but I don't think the 48 car should have had to go to a back up car, or even sent home. The infraction (that was caught) happened in qualifying, and they were sent to the back in the qualifying race. Inside Motorsports had a show about Cheating at the local level this morning, it's always happened in the past, it's happening now, and it will happen in the future, at every level. Some crew chiefs and crew are just better at it than others, or maybe they just do it more, and their odds go up in getting caught. If you get a chance, read Tom Jensen's Cheating, it's an eye-opening read. The Biff just won the Busch Race, the umpteenth win by a Roush car at California. It looks to be a Roush sweep this weekend, with Mark Martin winning the Truck race. So I'll go with Greg Biffle, since he starting on the outside pole. Matt Kenseth runs strong at California, but he's starting pretty far back, it's hard to keep up with the leaders if you have damage or are off on pit sequence. Fuel mileage can be a factor, that's one reason Roush is so strong. The Hendrick cars ran into engine trouble last year at this race, hopefully they can dodge that bullet this time around. This will be a good test for Jeff, this is the kind of track that he struggled at last year. He does have three wins here, so at one point he did have this track's number. I hope he finds it again.

Feb. 17, 2006: This is going to be short because 3sistersracing has a date with Daytona! With hundreds of our closest friends. The Daytona Watch Party, Sunday, February 19 at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar at Harrah's Casino at 11am. Be there or be square! I'm picking Jeff Gordon to win this race, for a variety of reasons. Until someone else knocks him off the throne, he's become the restrictor plate king of Nextel Cup. See ya at the party! Let the fun begin!

Feb. 11, 2006: Hello racing, good-bye cabin fever! What a great way to start the new season, the Bud Shoot-out was incredible. I was breathless the whole race, except when I was cussing Kyle Busch. I know he's Jeff's teammate, but he hasn't fallen too far off the Busch tree, his aggressiveness sometimes borders on hysteria. He showed a little of his attitude at the press conference last year when his brother was suspended, and didn't temper his talk at all. I would say that he'll mellow with maturity, but that has yet to happen with his brother. Tony and Jr. were great after the race, not pointing fingers, although we all knew who they were talking about. Tony said someone is going to get killed out there, that is real scary. And Jr. seemed pretty resigned to the fact that bump drafting is a way of life in today's NASCAR, not just in the corners, but every lap, all lap. Considering that his father was killed at that restrictor plate track, blocking for his teammates, that's more accepting than I could be. It makes for very exciting racing, but I don't want to see anyone die again. That is my biggest fear. Just talking from a fan's point of view, I can't imagine how the Sr. fans can stand the thought that they'll never see him race again. While never trying to compare that to his family's mourning, as a fan, I'm always looking for that Number 3 car. Still, even after 5 years of him being absent from the track. If something happened to Jeff, I'm not sure I could go back to the track. Or how I would handle racing in general. I love every part of the sport, and when Jeff crashes like he did today, or isn't competitive for one reason or the other, I still enjoy the race and cheer for the winner (unless it's a Busch or Biffle). So I'm knocking on wood and crossing my fingers and putting a good spell on the Voodoo doll that nothing will happen, to any driver. Tony seemed genuinely concerned after the race, but he still drove like a champion, physically pushing Denny Hamlin to the win. His move from the back to the front in the closing laps today showed he has these restrictor plates figured out. That's bad news for all the other drivers, because that has been his weakest link, now he is probably the man to beat at each track, not matter the configuration. And if today is any indication, he's also stepped into the role as mentor. With Bobby leaving Gibbs, Tony finds himself in the sometimes unenviable position of senior teammate to two rookies. He might not have always been able to handle that, because before he can help teach a rookie how to balance ego and confidence; recklessness and aggressiveness; fear and respect, he had to learn that himself. Speaking of racing, let's give a nod to the Olympics. I'm watching the downhill skiing right now, those guys and gals are nuts! Hurtling 70 miles an hour downhill with no protection between you and total annihilation, now that takes some stones. And it was a kick to find out that the downhill skiing course has a racing connection: it has a portion they call the Daytona Turn. And it's a nasty one.

Feb. 4, 2006: There was a beautiful sunrise this morning. Reminded me of race day. Whether I'm at home getting ready to watch the race on TV, or at the track, the dawning of the day is filled with anticipation and excitement. This is the reason people should embrace being a race fan. The brisk morning air, warmed by hot coffee and nips of peach brandy; the quiet camaraderie of sleepy tailgaters; driver flags lying in wait for the first hint of a breeze. As the morning wanes, there begins a stir, slight at first, but building as preparations are made, both in the garage and in the campgrounds. Soon, it will reach a full crescendo, culminating with "Gentleman, Start Your Engines..." OK, so that's a little dramatic, but you get my drift. Can you tell it's been a long off season? But, embracing being a race fan, I am serious about that. One thing I dislike very, very much (my Mom told me never to use the word "hate") are negative race fans. Now I don't mean a little lighthearted bantering between fans about their favorite drivers, or discussions about who is hot or who is not, or who is gay or who is not. Even die-hard Sr.-fans-turned-Jr.-fans are not negative, they're just fanatical. That's OK. It's the people (I won't call them fans) who always find fault with SOMETHING. Whether it's NASCAR's newest rule change or the fact that Toyota's joining the big boys next year, deal with the fact that it's not up to us to make those decisions. That's not our job. Our job, as race fans, is to enjoy the racing. We have the greatest job in the world. We don't have to sweat the small stuff, all we have to do is support our sport, and have fun while we're doing it. I hardly ever read the reader's forum in Scene magazine anymore. While I absorb all the articles, pictures, editorials and hell, even the classifieds, like a sponge, the comments from the readers are just such downers. Every once in awhile some true race fan will take these Debbie Downers to task, and that's great. To make such a blanket statement like "I'm never going to another race again because of..." or "NASCAR is going to lose me as a fan because of..." is just plain stupid. I'm sorry if that hurts some self-named traditional fans. But never say never. True and loyal fans will change with the sport because the sport is always changing. And that's exciting. Sure, some changes might not work, like the impound rule, but don't worry about that. Sure, I was disappointed that we didn't have a separate qualifying day at Kansas this year. I was also disappointed that Mark Martin didn't do a victory celebration. But all that is out of my control. And none of it will take away from the pleasure I get from watching and supporting racing. So just watch the frickin' race and enjoy it! Or else you'll be left behind, eating our dust.

Jan. 28, 2006: A little racin' potpourri this week, gearing up for the 2006 season. It seems like it was a long time coming! I'm looking forward to meeting everyone at the Daytona Watch party, it will be fun to put a face to all the people from the Message Board at InsideMotorsportKC.com. I'm sure I'm going to have to tape the Daytona 500, so I can watch it AFTER the party! I've been watching the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, definitely different, but it's still racing. There is about 5 hours left, Rusty Wallace had engine problems, Tony Stewart is still in it, but laps down. Surprisingly, (or maybe not) the NASCAR driver doing the best is Casey Mears, he and his Ganassi teammates Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon are leading the race. That's quite a lineup for any team, Dan Wheldon won the IRL championship last year in dominating fashion. Danica Patrick is also running, although also laps down. She said the crews get all the credit, can you imagine preparing and maintaining a race car to run for 24 hours? That's quite a job. Did you know Toyota employs more than 30,000 people in the United States? That's the same amount of jobs that Ford cut this week. And Toyota plans to build new plants and increase their workforce in the States by thousands by 2010. In 2006, it's impossible to ignore the impact globalization has on our lives, and NASCAR Nextel Cup is no exception. It is no longer just an American sport, but that doesn't mean that it's roots are to be forgotten. I say remember fondly the past, but embrace the future. Toyota will surely add to the competitiveness of the sport, and that can only be good. SPEED Channel plans on broadcasting 70 hours of Daytona coverage, starting February 10. My DVR is going to be busy. I know I buy into all the television hype surrounding Cup racing, but I just can't help it. Even the short clips I see while they are promoting the actual action stirs my blood. CMT has been running racing specials, the 40 Greatest Moments in NASCAR has been on numerous times. They really did have a good mix of old and new, from Pearson and Petty to Craven and Busch. It's fun to have witnessed one of the greatest finishes in racing, but it's also humbling to realize how much I've missed, and how much I really don't know. But I do appreciate all that has come before, and I love to learn all I can about racing. I see that Kurt Busch has had his trial for reckless driving postponed. People were talking about what a DWI would have done to his reputation, and career. But what about reckless driving? Hey, aren't all race drivers reckless? Wouldn't it be hard for them to leave it on the track. Hell, when I'm driving back from watching a race, dirt or asphalt, I feel like I'm the best driver in the world, weaving in and out of traffic, drafting on the interstate, punching the Prix every chance I get, racing the car next to me. That's scary, I know. I'm sure that's what the friends that drive with me think also! We have our Night Shift League fantasy draft on Feb. 11, after the Bud Shoot-out. You probably all know that I would pick Jeff if he was available in the first round. Robby Young is in our league this year, he's doing a lot of research and is very serious about it. This year we're going to have a trophy, the stakes just keep getting bigger and bigger. This is my cheat sheet for the 1st round: 1) Jeff Gordon 2) Tony Stewart 3) Jimmie Johnson 4) Matt Kenseth 5) Carl Edwards 6) Ryan Newman 7) Greg Biffle 8) Kurt Busch 9) Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 10) Elliott Sadler 11) Kevin Harvick. After that, you're on your own!

Jan. 21, 2006: Fantasy racing. Everyone is gearing up for their draft, and just like the REAL season, everyone is optimistic about their chances. Do you follow your heart, or follow your head? Ideally, at least one of your favorite drivers needs to be a contender, picking a hot driver compared to a not hot driver really doesn't fly here. But at the same time, you have to be true to yourself. Anyone whose ever been involved in fantasy games (of the sporting type!) knows that you have to be willing to pull for that driver to win, & for me, there are some drivers that I just can't root for (The Biff and Kurt Busch). On our night shift league, we go strictly by the standings every week, & at the end of the season, whoever has the lowest score wins. It's a little different than most leagues, but very low maintenance. But it's also a shot in the dark, we draft both half teams during the Bud Shoot-out in Feb., and they are ours 'til the end. So you have to go into it with the overall picture in mind. 36 races, 43 drivers, & picking 6 drivers that finish the highest in points? Luck for the fantasy team owner plays a major role: the bad luck of any of your drivers losing his ride, getting injured, or having the worst season of his career; good luck: staying out of trouble (on & off the track), consistency in scoring top 10s & top 5s, and having one of the best seasons of his career. These are intangibles that are hard to predict, but here are a few tips: 1) Obviously, go with a draft pick that has a good, proven, WINNING team behind them. When drafting a rookie or a relative unknown, a Roush or Hendrick driver would be better than a Chip Ganassi racer, who has yet to prove himself in NASCAR as a winner. 2) A good Busch or Craftsman truck career doesn't necessarily guarantee a stellar Cup career ( Jeff Green, Mike Bliss, Ron Hornaday, etc.) Some of the most successful Cup careers comes from drivers that didn't spend alot of time in the other series, maybe not picking up the baggage that comes from the crashes & disappointments of climbing the ladder slowly. Take Jimmie for example, he ran very few Busch races, & consequently the fire was still burning bright in his Cup career. Sometimes being a little green is an advantage. 3) The make of the car is important, it used to be I wouldn't draft a Ford, but I would be silly not to now. With Roush putting 5 teams in the Chase last year, I'm going to have to put that bias behind me. I would still be hesitant to draft a Charger, but it seems the Dodge teams are going to bring the Intrepids out of retirement. Until NASCAR allows the teams to change the nose of the Charger, which will probably be later this year, Dodge is at a huge disadvantage behind Chevy and Ford. 4) Check for changes in crew chiefs and crew. In 1998 Jeff won the championship, and in 1999, most of his championship crew went to Dale Jarrett's 88 team, who promptly won the championship that year. It is such a huge factor, the chemistry between driver and crew. A great driver can overcome some sloppy crew work, and vice versa, but if they don't work together as one well-oiled machine, race in and race out, some part of their game is going to suffer. 5) Are they running in other series? How often? I think it's an advantage for Cup drivers to run in the Busch or Truck series at tracks where they are either real good, or struggle. Jr. running at Talladega or Daytona in the Busch series only helps to hone his skill and confidence. Last year, Carl Edwards used his Busch team to help him get experience on the short tracks, his nemesis, expect him to do better on those tracks this year. I want to say now that my Fantasy NASCAR career has been very sporadic, won a few, lost a lot. I really should have Thad give you tips, he's in two leagues, and has won both numerous times. But then again, maybe he doesn't want to share...

Jan. 14, 2006: Are race car drivers athletes? That's always a discussion in our world when race fans and non-race fans come together. Here's the definition of athlete from the Webster's dictionary: One who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports or games requiring physical strength, agility or stamina. In my mind, the race car driver, at every level, personifies that definition. My brother-in-law, Joe, who is all about football, argues that drivers are not athletes, that their sport does not require a driver to be in shape, or have any particular skills. I beg to differ on all accounts. Let's break down the definition. Trained: Training means investing time, energy and focus in a particular exercise, sport or game. These drivers have been training most of their lives to reach their potential, just like all other athletes in all other sports. Going to the gym to build physical strength, hours spent at tracks driving anything with wheels to perfect their driving skills, endless discussions with team members on strategy, all with one goal in mind: to win. Skilled: It's easy to see why non-race fans think there is no skill in driving around in circles turning left. Or drag racing down a 1/4 mile track, hell, we used to do that when we were teenagers! How hard could it be? I guess the best measurement is to try and do it yourself, at the highest level. Or athletes in other sports, how would they fare? Some athletes are more talented in their skill sets than others, some have to work harder just to be competitive. In racing, like all other sports, fundamental skill is the most basic of components for success. Exercise, sport or game: To paraphrase Richard Petty "the first automobile race happened when the second automobile was made." Motorsports is a form of diversion for recreation: a sport. It has rules for play and participation: a game. And for sure, it is enjoyable for people to play AND watch. Physical strength, agility or stamina: You only need to have one to be an athlete, according to the definition, and drivers have to have all three. You have to be strong to muscle those 750+ horsepowered vehicles around a track, any track. Add other vehicles to try to avoid and pass, concrete walls to steer away from, downforce to contend with, ornery transmissions to shift, your average couch potato would be hurting just getting off pit road! It takes physical agility to just get in and out of the car. The mental agility is where the difference between good and great manifests itself. The ability to concentrate and focus for hours at a time takes a mental and emotional edge that separates the men from the boys. The stamina needed to physically maneuver the car for hours while concentrating on keeping it competitive, when so much can go wrong, under adverse conditions like heat, humidity, mechanical failures, injuries, sickness...hmmmm. Sounds like an athlete to me! As far as the differences in the sports, there are many. But that doesn't mean that it's not a sport, or the drivers aren't athletes. Football players are on the field for 3 hours in the game, and then just on their side of the ball (offense or defense). Sure, their bodies take a pounding, but they have pads. Both are dangerous, but also in both sports, the better the athlete, the more apt they are to walk away from a crash, or a tackle, without substantial injury. Maybe all the drivers don't actually look like athletes, but neither do some of those 350 pound offensive lineman. Their job is to make room so the real athletes can score, and win! Which is every athlete's goal, to win. And winning is the name of the game, in all sports. Even Motorsports.

Jan. 8, 2006: Anticipation, anticipation - is making me late, is keeping me waiting...
What is it that a 40-something single woman would be anticipating so much? Romance? My soul mate? Good sex? OK, all of the above. But what is it that makes my heart pound, my pulse race? What is it that gives me butterflies in my stomach, makes me toss and turn at night, restless, anticipating...you guessed it, racing! The big boys will be practicing at Daytona starting this week, and Speedweeks, and the Bud Shoot-out, is only five long weeks away. I'm sure the drivers would like a longer off-season, they surely have the shortest one of all the major sports, but for us fans, the start of the 2006 season can't come too soon. I have a few predictions for the new year, remember, the opinions here are only those of me, the littlest sister, the baby sister, the YOUNGEST sister... BUSCH makes the Chase...Kyle Busch, not Kurt Busch. Best Comeback Driver...Bobby Labonte. I can't explain what has happened to the former Winston Cup Champion. He's never been one for the need of the spotlight, so I can't imagine he was feeling neglected over at Gibbs. But when he won the Championship he was top dog at Gibbs, and he certainly will be at Petty. With a champion owner, driver, vice president and crew chief, the No. 43 car has a good chance of regaining it's former status as one of the most revered and competitive rides in the Nextel Cup garage. Top Rookie - I think it's going to be Clint Bowyer. He's biggest assets: Kevin Harvick. Kevin Harvick has proven, that as a mentor and teammate, he is unselfish and loyal. Following in his former car driver's footsteps, Kevin is Earnhardt-ish in his ability to juggle being an owner (in the Busch and Truck series) and a teacher to the rookies. If you don't believe me, hearken back to the incident with Matt Kenseth when Kevin thought Matt was trying to take out then-Childress teammate Johnny Sauter. Kevin said "no one does that to my teammate". I also think Clint's experience last year, fighting back from so many bad starts to make the Busch Championship competitive with Truex, Jr., toughened him up for what is always a grueling season, the one you run with that yellow bumper. Drivers making the Chase...in no particular order ...Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Casey Mears, Elliott Sadler and Carl Edwards. Drivers who might make the Chase... (OK, I'm covering my butt here)...With a teammate as strong and compatible as the other Jr., Truex, Dale the second should be able to bounce back from his dismal 2005 season. He'll again be strong at the restricter plate races, and the Superspeedways, but he has to stay out of the wrecks, which were, more times than not, of his doing last season. Also Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne will be competitive, and given the right circumstances and luck, could find themselves in the Chase. (How's that for going out on a limb?) Biggest disappointment for 2006: Mark Martin not making the Chase. Going out on top would make a great story, but I think he stayed one year too many. In 2005 he was still very competitive, but I think his pessimism and wanting to retire has taken a toll on his enthusiasm to compete. Winning it all...hate to be a homer but...I'm with Ryan Smithson. I think Jeff will win his 5th championship, but Carl Edwards will be nipping at his heels the whole way. Jeff's my pick...for 2006! Let us know what you think, you can go on our journal and give your predictions and insights. Before the season starts, it would be fun to look back and see whose the best prognosticator. Then THAT person can do the weekly takes!

Jan. 1, 2006: Let's make some New Year's Resolutions for the drivers:
Michael (Wrecking) Waltrip - Michael had the most wrecks this year by percentage, in 52% of his races this year he wrecked. New Year's Resolution - I resolve not to wreck so much this year! (He probably makes that resolution every year.)
Kurt Busch - We know the trials and tribulations Kurt faced this year. New Year's Resolution - I resolve to get a personality transplant this year so fans and drivers will like me (maybe I'll have the surgeons do some work on my ears while they're at it.)
Jeff Gordon - Could it be that curvy brunette is distracting him from his job, and from winning his 5th championship? New Year's Resolution - I resolve to date only unattractive women. I wonder if the Busch brothers have a sister? Jimmie Johnson - It seems he was the goat in a lot of the crashes this year. New Year's Resolution - I resolve to stay in the back until the last 4 laps so I'll stay out of everyone's way. (Chad will be really mad, and I don't like it when Chad's mad at me. He scares me.)
Tony Stewart - He has a good start on the New Year with all his new exercise equipment. New Year's Resolution - I resolve to make Jay Mohr pay for the things he said about me. Some how, some way. One of these days, when I'm at the drive-thru at McDonald's, I'll make sure Jay will be there asking me if I want to supersize those fries.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. - The lost year. New Year's Resolution - I resolve to dump that girl from the car rental commercial, she's even getting on MY nerves.
Matt Kenseth - Hey Jack, remember me, I was the 2003 Winston Cup Champion! New Year's Resolution - I resolve to become Carl Edwards' mentor, he needs to know how to loosen up a little, and I'm just the man to show him!
Mark Martin - Geez, I'm suppose to be fishing. New Year's Resolution - I resolve to learn how to do a burnout, that Kansas deal was embarrassing. Clint Boyer - The Rookie of the year in 2006? New Year's Resolution - I resolve to make my sister stay in the pits when she's at a race, so she won't bother the other fans.
Bobby Labonte - You looked so good in bright green. New Year's Resolution - I resolve to carry on the great Petty tradition. The first 30 years of the Petty tradition, not the last 20 years.
Greg Biffle - Methinks that hot Subway sandwich might have caused permanent damage. New Year's Resolution - I resolve to be the "bad boy" of Roush Racing now that Kurt's gone. I've got the whining and the narcing down, now I'll work on the anger and arrogance.
Ryan Newman - He and Kurt will be like the dream team, they'll be dreaming someone will buy their stuff. New Year's Resolution - I resolve to get a heart, because I already have a big old brain.

Dec. 11, 2005: The 2006 Silly Season is going to test many drivers, and their fans. I, for one, can't imagine Bobby Labonte not being in the 18 car. It's a quandary, do you, as a fan, stay with the driver (even if he is going to Petty) or do you keep rooting for the Gibbs' car? How about the 2 car? I can imagine most of the Rusty fans aren't too happy about having a Busch in the Miller Lite car. From what I've read though, Rusty was kind of a rebel early in his career. Brash and arrogant, like most young men, especially drivers. A man (or woman) has got have confidence if they are going to drive a race car, and when you're winning, the attention you get has got to be a rush. Ten foot tall and bulletproof. I suppose maturity will temper that ego, especially if you go on a losing streak, or have a nasty crash. Busch's ego has got the best of him at times. He says he's a changed man, but will him changing take away from his winning ways? On the other hand, Bobby has always been quiet and reserved, and some say too much of a gentleman driver. When he was fighting with Jimmie for the win at Lowe's, that was the first time in a long time we saw Bobby trading paint. He won a championship being a "gentleman" driver. Bobby is a great pick for the 43 car: a classy driver whose a winner, just like King Richard. Travis Kvapil was told he could "explore other options", and the 77 car is not going to run the 2006 season. So that leaves Penske with 2 cars. I know Travis and Rusty shared information, but it was obvious Ryan was interested in helping his teammates. He says it will be different with Busch, I wonder. Dave Blaney has left RCR and is back with Bill Davis in the 22 car, Scott Wimmer is out of the 22 and looking for a ride, Hendrick has pretty much dumped their development program, Scott Riggs is going to drive the 10 car with sponsor intact for Everham, while Sterling is leaving Ganassi and going to the former 10 car (which is now the 14 car) at MB2 Motorsports, Denny Hamlin will drive either the 11 car or the 18, with JJ Yeley driving the other Gibbs car, Rusty and Ricky retired, Ken Schrader will take over for Ricky in the Wood Brothers 21, while Michael Waltrip will drive for Bill Davis in his No. 15 NAPA sponsored ride. At Roush, Jamie will take over the 97 car (which is now the 26 car) and Mark Martin will return for one last year in the No. 6. Jeff Green will take over Mike Bliss' ride in the No. 0 car. No wonder they call it Silly Season!

Dec. 2, 2005: The NASCAR Nextel Cup Banquet show is a great off-season NASCAR fix! By following it so closely, it's fun to get the inside jokes that only us die-hard race fans can appreciate. The crowd always seems so nervous. I really enjoy Jay Mohr. He doesn't give anyone a break! Tony seems the most relaxed of everyone, those go-to-hell looks he keeps giving Jay Mohr are classic! Did you notice he didn't have a date? There was a girl in the introduction standing next to him, but someone discreetly nudged her out of the way. NASCarla and I think it might of been his sister, let's just say they have the same body type. Hey, I know a "sister" that he could have invited to his Championship banquet. She probably would have changed her plans for tonight. I really wanted to see Jeff and his new squeeze, but I knew he was racing in Paris. Will Farrell coming up was a hoot, that was a real good way to cover up the fact that Jeff wasn't there. I'm anxious to see the movie he mentioned. Kurt Busch did an awesome job, he seemed cool, calm and collected, where Jack Rousch just looked contrite. With Kurt's unfortunate circumstances during the last two weeks of the season, I guess our Voodoo doll's spells take a while to kick in! Jimmie's come a long way in his speeches, Jay Mohr said everyone at Homestead knew you're tire was going flat except for you. Jimmie's still denying that it was flat. I think Kathy is too. Did you see that shot of Kansas Speedway during Mark Martin's win? We always pack the stands, can't wait until the Hall of Fame comes here. Sorry if this Take seems broken, but I'm watching the Banquet as I go. I enjoyed Matt Kenseth cutting his speech short to let Jay have his shots. Matt was very animated, for Matt, when he won Bristol. That was fun to see, he had an incredible run to the Chase. Mark's speech was very moving, he said his glass wasn't half full, it was all the way full. Sounds like NASCarla. I need to learn some lessons from those two. Carl is so genuine, so poised and natural. He thanked Central Missouri, and told Jack Rousch, "Dude, you're insane!" He might be my next second favorite driver. I'm worse than NASCarla. 'Cause I like Jimmie, Bobby, Jr., Matt, Tony....Oh, here comes The Biff. He's talking about his "good looks" before Jay can dog on him. I know I shouldn't rag on his because he's ugly, but he's kind of a whiner too, that was a funny line about him and Nicole having fun doing it together. He's a real good sport. The most dramatic moment kind of surprised me, I thought it would be one of the dramatic finishes between Jimmie and Carl or Jimmie and Bobby. But I know Tony really wanted to win the Brickyard (I can only think of it as that, not the Allstate 400 or whatever) because it is in his home state. You can always tell the crew chiefs aren't as comfortable as the drivers in speaking, but they are just as instrumental in winning the championship. See, even Tony called it the Brickyard. Well, I guess that was his sister. It was a great banquet, leaves me wanting more. I wonder if my credit card can take a trip to Daytona in February...

Nov. 19, 2005: Championship Weekend at Homestead, and the racing is good! Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle raced side by side for most of the Busch race, Newman should be thankful for the caution with 6 laps left. Otherwise I think Greg would stayed ahead. Ryan worked good on the outside, they raced each other real clean. Tomorrow ought to be fun, neither Tony nor Jimmie qualified well, and Carl has the pole. Wouldn't that be phenomenal, if Carl won the Nextel Cup Championship? He's not a rookie, he ran too many races last year, but he might as well be. It's incredible how poised he is, to knock Ryan Newman off the pole, and after Tony qualified, he was as cool as a cucumber getting that pole. We sure have a lot to look forward to watching this guy race in the next several years. 3sistersracing.com would have liked to been at Homestead this weekend, can you think of a better weekend of racing? Well, maybe Daytona. But this track is fast and fun, the weather has been all that great this weekend, but it's usually pretty nice. Action Jackson, the tour group we use, has a package where you can go to the weekend races, and then they have a 4 day cruise through Key West and the western Caribbean. That would be heaven! Especially when you're stuck here in Kansas, on a cold November day, with a long off season stretching out in front of you. I hope Rusty wins the race tomorrow, although I don't really see it. He qualified 37th, so that's doesn't bode well for his chances. But it would be cool if he won the last race of his career. It's funny to watch him on trackside, he's very good at broadcasting, a lot better than Larry McReynolds, who always cuts him off, or says something Rusty doesn't understand. But Rusty is a good sport, and goes along with it. (My opinion, of course!) I guess Kathy wants to get out the Voo Doo doll tomorrow, and dress it up like Jimmie, we'll put a protection spell on it, and see what happens. Tomorrow at the Fieldhouse, we might have to keep Kathy and NASCarla in separate corners, or there might be a girl fight! (I bet most of the guys would like that!) There are so many drivers tomorrow who will be on the last ride in their cars, and with their teams, it would have to be bittersweet. And for Kurt Busch, probably just bitter. How humiliating would it be, as the defending Nextel Cup champion, to have to sit at home on Championship Weekend. This is a really big deal. I wonder if his beautiful, blonde fiancee will dump him? Maybe he still has enough money, that she'll put up with him. Or she might be at the track tomorrow, looking for her next perspective champion. Hey, Tony's single! Sorry, NASCarla. Tony's won here twice, I can see him doing it again tomorrow. But Jimmie has come close so many times, he needs flex his muscles tomorrow, don't points race, go for the win and the Championship. I think the combination of Chad and Jimmie are definitely able to get it done, but they need Tony and Zippy to screw up, I'm not sure that will happen. Of course all it will take is a first lap crash, and the door will be wide open not just for Jimmie, but Carl and Greg also. If Tony keeps his eyes on the prize, he'll be hard to overcome. Ryan is out of it as far as the championship goes, but he won the Busch race, and qualified 2nd. Jeff was fastest in both practices and qualified 12th, he's never won at Homestead. If he finishes the standings in 11th, he'll get to go to New York for the banquet. And his new girlfriend will be very happy with that extra million. What part of their bodies do these guys think with? I know they're smart, they've proven that on the track. Oh well, could this be a little bit of that green-eyed monster? I've settled on Ryan to win, and Tony to win the championship. But then, what do I know? Congratulations to Martin Truex, Jr., and Ted Musgrave on their Championships, and we'll see you at Daytona in February!

Nov. 12, 2005: The heat will be on in the desert tomorrow, with 2 races left to crown a 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion. Smoke and JJ and Flipper (that's my own nickname, pretty lame huh?) are really the only ones with a chance to be the Champ, but a three-man race should prove exciting. I didn't realize Phoenix has been around for so long, I don't know how long the big boys have ran there, but they said Ken Schrader was the all time winner there with like a thousand wins! I guess he won Thursday night at a race they had there. Jr. qualified 19th, has a win here and always runs strong. Jeff Burton and Mark Martin also like this track, it would be nice to see Jeff Burton run well here. When he was winning all those races in the late 90s, I didn't like him, because he was taking away from Jeff's wins. But he hasn't been real competitive in the last few years. Isn't that weird, like with Bobby Labonte, having the best cars and equipment and teams, and they just aren't competitive week after week. What is the difference between one year and the next? It's a real puzzle. Bobby going to Petty was kind of a shock, maybe he sees something I don't. I'm sure he's by no means over the hill in terms of his driving, maybe he's just not aggressive enough. Chemistry goes a long way I guess. Carl Edwards won the Busch race, he is SOOOO HOT right now. That million dollar smile has been flashing alot lately! At the end of the season, it will be worth Millions of dollars. I guess I'll pick him to win this week, since he's pretty much ruined all my picks the last two weeks. OK Carl, I believe, I believe! Jeff has never won at this 1 mile track, he's been close and has had a lot of top fives, this would be a nice win for him to get the Phoenix monkey off his back. Tony and Jimmie could both go a long way to cementing their championship, and with all their off the track bickering, it will be interesting to watch them race each other on the track. Tony just really doesn't make many mistakes, the kinder, gentler Smoke seems to be on a mission. I know Kathy is really feeling the pressure of Jimmie winning the Championship, she says she can hardly stand it! It's kind of nice not having Jeff in the chase, a lot less stress. But seriously, I would have rather had him fighting for first, rather than fighting for 11th. Maybe that new girlfriend is distracting him, I've seen pictures of the happy couple in the tabloids at Hollywood parties and carousing around New York City. If he's smart he'll keep it casual, remember Brooke, Jeff. This new one looks like a gold digger if I ever say one. Doesn't he realize I'm here waiting, like Pam says, to be the next Mrs. Jeff Gordon? I'm no gold digger either, I just like the way he drives! (And looks!) I don't care if he has a lot of money and a yacht and a Ferrari...

Nov. 5, 2005: Everything is big in Texas. Don't mess with Texas. Happiness is Texas in my rear view mirror (country western song). We're trying to think of a theme for our shirts when we go to Texas next spring, if anyone has any ideas let us know on our Guest Book. A bunch of Kansans and Missourians going to Texas, there has to be a theme there somewhere. I lived in western Texas in the early 80s, during the oil boom, wonderful people, but my gawd they were hard to understand! They made fun of our Yankee accents, but they were the ones who talked funny! Anyway, Texans seem to like their racing, although I was surprised how few people there were at the truck race last night. Just like California, they better sell out these races, because Texas took Rockingham's race, and that's a big loss for NASCAR fans. Looks like Ryan Newman is running away with the Busch race, they probably shouldn't let him run the Busch series, talk about a Buschwacker! He'll have to go to a back up car for Sunday's race after wrecking on his second qualifying lap, and after blistering the track with his pole winning first qualifying lap. I don't see him going through the field untouched tomorrow, so I think he will continue to struggle in the race, after qualifying on the pole. Jeff and Matt both had good qualifying runs, but Jeff struggled in practice. Jr. is strong again this week, he seems to be finding his mojo, although a little late! I seriously almost picked Carl Edwards last week, no really, I did. So this week, I'll go with my original thought, which is Matt Kenseth, to win the race. He's had some bad pit stops today in the Busch race, but that probably won't happen tomorrow with his Killer Bees. He needs to win a race to keep his Chase hopes alive, and Tony and Jimmie and Biff have to have really bad days. Chances of that scenario taking place are slim, but you never know! Jimmie should be good at this track, it being a mile and a half, and he needs to rebound from his mediocre finish last week. I still think it's Tony's championship to lose, but remember last year how the race for the Chase tightened up for Homestead. It doesn't look like it's easy to pass here at Texas either, but they go awful fast, so clean air will be important. As will fuel mileage. Maybe that bodes well for Jeremy Mayfield. That's how he almost always wins his races. So there will be pit strategy, and tire strategy, hopefully that won't take away from some exciting Texas-size racing.

Oct. 29, 2005: What a great win for Jeff last week! He may be out of the Chase, but the day couldn't have been better for 3sistersracing.com. Jeff, Tony and Jimmie, first, second and third, battling for the win. Tony and Jimmie do have some "issues" don't they? I'm really glad Jeff didn't give Jimmie a chance to lead a lap, we would have never heard the end of that. I figure 5 points isn't enough for Jeff to perhaps relinquish a win, and I'm sure Jimmie and Chad probably wouldn't have asked him for that. Fortunately it was a moot point, because Tony got around Jimmie (with a nose up his rear) and Jimmie was never able to get close to Jeff. It does look like the Championship is going to be between Tony and Jimmie, unless Ryan can back up his pole this week at Atlanta with a win. Man, that guy just buried them all in qualifying. They go so fast there in Atlanta, plus there are two and three grooves, with lots of passing. Atlanta is definitely on our list for a road trip, soon! I hope Junior has a good weekend, he's so laid back and genuine, it's no wonder he has so many fans. (Although laid back is NOT what many of his fans are!) I know he inherited a lot of fans from his late father, but the more I see, hear and watch Jr. (on the track or off) the more I like him. He hardly ever points fingers, always takes responsibility for himself, and seems to realize that what happens on the track should stay on the track. He's very mature, but also seems to have a lot of fun. I guess what I'm saying is that he doesn't take himself real serious, which a lot of drivers do (Kurt Busch). All these guys are living out a dream, and I think Jr. appreciates that fact. I'm not sure he's going to win on Sunday, but he runs real well here, and qualified 17th. Carl Edwards qualified on the front row, beside pole sitter Ryan Newman, and he's looking to sweep the Atlanta races in 2005. I wouldn't mind seeing his back flip again. This is why racing is so much fun, it's such a crap shoot, there are 43 drivers, depending on luck, skill and strategy, that can realistically win the race. Parity like that is unique to NASCAR. I know the multi-car teams have a huge advantage, but all it takes is being in the right place at the right time. My gosh, even Kyle Petty can get lucky once in a while! DJ qualified well (9th), as did Kasey Kahne (6th). Both should be contenders on Sunday. I'll go ahead and pick Jr. to win the race, maybe I'll have two in a row! (Hmmm, maybe I oughta pick Jeff again).

Oct. 15, 2005: Wow, if the Busch race is any indication of what's going to happen tonight, it's looks like it's going to be a wild Saturday night! Just the way we like 'em! The track is so fast that the cars couldn't stay on the bottom, so it looks like most of the passing will be on the high side. Tony Stewart had a hard crash, fortunately he wasn't hurt. I like his attitude, he said he knew Ryan had a faster car, and that he probably couldn't pass him on the bottom, but he said he didn't have anything to lose. That's the kind of thinking that makes a champion. But this is Jimmie's house, it's hard to discount him, even though he has to start in the back because of an engine change. The race is plenty long enough for him to come to the front. I think avoiding trouble will be the most important factor tonight, the Busch race had a record number of cautions, and that means lots of restarts. I don't think it's possible to be patient, or you'll get run over. Matt Kenseth was talking about the high speeds being so hard on car parts, they've never had such high speed for so long. Even in the corners they don't slow down. Talk about tight-butt driving for 4 hours! Pretty exciting to watch, but I bet the drivers are a little uneasy. I'll go with Jimmie tonight, he's looking for his 4th consecutive win here. Kathy and I went to Charlotte last year and saw Jimmie win the Memorial weekend race that started his streak. It's so exciting to see your driver win when you are actually at the race, and in such dominant fashion. Next week is Martinsville, a short track shoot-out, this Chase thing is really exciting! I bet it comes down to Homestead again, which is just what NASCAR had in mind.

Sept. 30, 2005: Talladega, Alabama. One of my favorite places on earth, bar none. I know a lot of drivers don't enjoy the restricter plate racing, but it sure is a lot of fun for the fans. If you go to one race in your life, make it Talladega. It's a breathtaking sight when you come up on it, rising out of the Pine Woods of Alabama like a shrine to all racing fans. It's a pilgrimage that is awe-inspiring because of the track's sheer size, and volume of race fans that it holds. And believe it or not, for fans not use to going to tracks in the south, you can actually bring food and beverage into the track. I really think that NASCAR knows better than to tell those southern fans they have to leave their beer at home. Us Midwesterners put up with it, why I don't know, but in the south the tradition runs too deep. We always sit down by the track, right at the start/finish line. Of course you can't see the backstretch, but when those packs go by, 200 miles per hour, inches apart, 4 wide, there's no other experience like it in racing. Back in the late '90s we saw Jeff pass Senior in the grass (that was before the yellow line rule) right in front of us to go on and win the Diehard 500. My first race at Talladega there was a multi-car crash, with Bill Elliott and Senior both on their lids sliding across the start/finish line in a spectacular melee. I still have a piece of Bill Elliott's McDonald's car. I've seen Senior win here, Jeff twice, Bobby Labonte, Bobby Hamilton, never Jr., but I expect I have lots of opportunity for that. This track is where NASCarla became hooked, and we went back there this year with Kathy Beth. If we didn't have so many tracks to go to, and such limited funds, I would go to Talladega every year. Do you think Elliott Sadler and Ryan Newman dread this track twice a year? Those boys have been taken to school by this track, it just shows how much they HAVE TO RACE to keep coming back. It's amazing to me how they talk so nonchalantly about the horrifying crashes that they've had here. Qualifying doesn't seem to matter much, except if the "Big One" happens early and you're in the back. The whole race is like an orchestrated dance, forward back, forward back, holding your line, swaying sideways. You can be 20th one lap and leading the next lap. Of course the DEI cars have this track's number, as does Jeff. The Roush cars keep getting stronger here, Matt was running up front in the Spring when we were there, finished 11th. In terms of the Chase Contenders, maybe Jimmie can take some of that Hendrick restrictor-plate mojo and extend his lead. Of course Tony won his first restricter plate race this last July, so he will be one to watch also. I'm going to go out on a limb here and pick Bobby Labonte, he's for sure due, and he's awful cute! (I may be a race fan, but I'm also a woman that sometimes listens to her heart, not her head.) Check out our Invite to the tailgating extravaganza at Kansas this next weekend on our Events page. Sure would like to see you there!

Sept. 24, 2005: Personally I can't wait until February. Not that I'm not interested in how the remainder of the season will go, I love racing and look forward to every race. But February means FOX broadcasting: D.W, Jeff Hammond, and, god forbid, Larry McReynolds. Am I the only one that finds the NBC broadcast team paralyzing? Bill Weber's eyebrows and hair distract me, now I know what happened to Barbie's Ken doll when he grew up. And Benny Parsons is the master at stating the obvious. Example: Today's Busch race at Dover: Wally Dallenbach: "Martin Truex, Jr., has a flat rear tire." Benny Parsons: "It's getting flatter every lap." Really? And what has Wally Dallenbach ever done? I want to hear commentary from a driver that's been there, done that, and has been successful at it, like Darrell Waltrip. Although I do enjoy the ride alongs every week, can you believe how freaked out all the celebrities get when skimming the wall at 185 mph? Last week's race was fun. That's what NASCAR gets for dividing the field; the Chase contenders have everything on the line, and those left out have nothing to lose. With all the shenanigans and tom foolery (I love those words!) that went on last week, it was almost like a WWF cage match. I bet Robby Gordon would have thrown a chair if he had one! But he had to settle for his helmet, which he then used to help the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. If that doesn't get him some sponsorship, I don't know what will. And Michael Waltrip's woe-is-I pitiful puppy-dog demeanor after the incident got all of us on his side. They kissed and made up on Trackside, it all seemed pretty scripted to me. This week's MBNA RacePoints 400 at Dover is not an impound race, it's great to have a 3 day weekend of racing again. Ryan Newman won both Busch and Nextel Poles, won the Busch race in convincing fashion, and after last week's win, it would be hard to bet against him. Tony and Carl, both Chase contenders, are starting deep in the field, and they better hurry, because it doesn't take long to lap cars on this 1 mile concrete track. I'm going to go with Jr., for Sunday's race, he finished 2nd and 9th at Dover last year, the pressure is off to make the Chase, he seems to be more relaxed now. Jeff is still struggling, hopefully he'll surprise us by finding some speed in that 24 Dupont Chevy. Matt Kenseth has won here, and he's quietly building momentum just when he needs it. Just a handful of Chase contenders have done well at Talladega, which is next week, so everyone better give Dover their full attention.

Aug. 26, 2005: Matt Kenseth on the pole at Bristol? Next thing you're going to tell me is that Kurt Busch was picked as one of People's 50 Hottest Bachelors! Honestly, Matt has done real well at Bristol the last few races, but when was the last time he got a pole? Let's see, I think it was in 2003 in New Hampshire, when Matt was leading the standings and qualifying was rained out. Bristol is so much fun, Kathy and I went there in August of 2003, when Kurt Busch was in the midst of his winning streak there. He's always a threat at this short track, and starting 11th won't hurt. This is an important race in the Chase for many drivers, especially Jeff. A lot of drivers have to do bad and he needs to do good, but he can't really worry about anyone else. It's time to concentrate on a good finish. I've been s-o-o-o frustrated because they can't seem to get his car better during the race! What's up with that? They used to be the best at tinkering with the car so it got stronger and stronger as the race progressed. Now days he seems to fade after pitting for adjustments. Enough about me, let's talk about Bristol. Saturday night short-track racing has to be so much fun for these guys, as it is for the fans. Maybe that's why the aggressive drivers seems to do so well. Jeff's bump and run on Rusty left a lot of Rusty fans (and non-Jeff fans) fuming, but that's the way you have to drive to win. This year's spring winner, Kevin Harvick, is an excellent example of that. It's so hard to pass without contact, taking the risk of spinning yourself and everyone else out. Ryan Newman just won the Busch race, and with patience instead of aggressiveness. So much for my theory! I think there are too many good short track racers in the Cup series for Ryan to win the Sharpie 500. I'm going to pick Jeff to win, but watch for Jamie McMurray and Kurt Busch to run strong. Lately at Bristol, Rusty seems to run into trouble not of his own making, so if he can keep his nose clean (literally) he will be a contender. We're having a party at Kathy's house for the race, it's always an event for us. I wonder if the local tracks suffer on the Saturday nights that the big boys run? Because Carla's going to be at Kathy's house, watching the Cup race, instead of wandering around Missouri with all the racing boys!