The Essentials
Where: Pocono Raceway
Race: Time: Sunday 5:45 p.m./EDT
TV/Radio: FOX Sports, PRN Radio
Twitter: In-race updates at FanHouseRacing
Forecast: 75 degrees, Partly Sunny
Distance: 200 laps (500 miles)
Pole Winner: Tony Stewart
2008 Winner: Kasey Kahne
The Storylines
The novelty of a Nashville win is the custom-painted Gibson Les Paul guitar trophy, and Busch decided he was going to smash the thing up in true rock star fashion. And so he did -- jogging to the front of the car and then taking a hold of the neck and smashing it into the ground.
The guitar merely splintered, and Busch tried again -- still doing minor damage. Later we learned that Busch had planned the smash for a while as a way to split up the trophy for his guys in the shop, but in the moment, watching it felt wrong and it still does.
Instead of a nod to the guys who build the No. 18 team, it looked and felt more like another attempt for Kyle Busch to grab attention on himself. There's a lot of words you could use to describe the moment, but the one that feels the best to me is that it was just wrong.
Tony Stewart "ran out of talent" during the first practice on Saturday morning for Sunday's race, and he'll head to a backup car for the race.
The No. 14 got loose off turn two, spun sideways and slid across some grass, then an access road, and then more grass. The second trip to the lawn dug Stewart's splitter deep in the mud, ripping it off and badly damaging the the entire nose of the Chevrolet.
He had planned to start from the pole, but will drop to the back because of the back-up car. One would assume he's one guy that's very, very happy to see double-file restarts -- especially if the race sees an early caution. Instead of being strung out one-by-one, the distance behind the leader on the green flag would be cut in half.
Speaking of double-file restarts, the new rule is one of the best moves we've seen from NASCAR in a long time. Broken down easily, it amounts to allowing drivers fight for position with cars that matter, instead of racing around cars on a restart that have no bearing on the running order.
There's going to be a couple of snafus with it in the first few weeks, but it should turn out to work quite well.
TNT again has NASCAR's television coverage for the "Summer Series" as they have dubbed it. The six-race stretch sits between the FOX and ESPN portions of NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage.
A few things to take note of: the start time for TNT is nearly always an hour and change ahead of the actual green flag, there's extra camera views on NASCAR.com with RaceBuddy, and Kyle Petty is the best part of the whole broadcast.
And oh yeah, play-by-play guy Bill Weber will sport more than a few interesting suits.
The Prediction
Geoffrey Miller: Tony Stewart
Enjoy the race, y'all.
Enjoy the race, y'all.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-07-2009 @ 6:56PM
WHO said...
Sam Bass gets it! I guess there are some that don't understand Rock 'n Roll and racin'. Kyle understands both. What he did was so unselfish. Instead of keeping something nice for himself he shared a special moment with his team. I'm sure there will be plenty more great moments. Man, can he drive!!!
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6-08-2009 @ 5:39AM
pnut166 said...
yeah, he can drive. He can drive that splintery guitar right up his ass!
6-08-2009 @ 5:41AM
pnut166 said...
Kyle "understands" ???? Kyle is "unselfish"??? Are you retarded ???
6-07-2009 @ 6:55PM
mom said...
TG ass**** Busch didn't win!!! When is NASCAR gonna spank him for his actions last night? How disrespectful was that? If I was that spouncer, I never give them another dime of my money.
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6-07-2009 @ 10:25PM
hafttwo said...
kyle=PIECE OF shit
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6-08-2009 @ 11:25AM
abobappleton said...
I thought Gibbs has more class than a punk like Bush. For me I will never own a Jap car. Who wonts to see a lot of jap cars winning races.They will kill Nascar as Honda did in AMA flat track racing in the eighty`s.I live in Nashville and think Gibson is a class guitar.This is their home office.Will Nascar do anything on Bush. They did on Earnhart jr.
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6-08-2009 @ 11:54AM
gregsachiko said...
Kyle won it and can do whatever he wants to do with the damn crappy guitar. Rock stars do it all the time and last time I checked America is a free country to buy any car we choose and to break something that we rightfully owned. Your tax money was used up good with the military and they break things on purpose just to SEE if it lasts like the manuel says it will. Some items are in the thousands.
Adopappleton, good for you, then don't buy any Japanese car and buy the American cars and PAY for what you Don't get. That is what freedom of choice is, so don't spew your stupidity and try to get people not do what they have the freedom of choice to do.
Nissan is just down the road from you, is that why you angry because they did not hire you after you failed the entrance test??
Greg
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6-08-2009 @ 5:55PM
Da Gimp said...
Sure, rock star's do it, but they're ROCK STARS! He's an arrogant kid, who can drive fast. Granted, he's very talented, but NASCAR definitely turns a blind eye to his on-track antics. He's allowed to bump draft anyone who 'dares' to get in his way, but complains, pouts, and complains if it's done to him. What a crybaby. I hope somebody puts him into a wall the next time he pulls one of those stunts.
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6-08-2009 @ 7:29PM
gregsachiko said...
Da Gimp, Two questions...does he own the guitar..did he win it? He can do whatever he pleases, it is his. You just don't like him.
Put him in the wall???? Would you want to win a race this way? AAAWW come on now you are acting just like he is..a crybaby as well. Sure he is just a kid, I remember Mark Martin acted the same way on the track..it is called "growing up"
I am in my home town this week and I am seeing my friends for the first time in over 20 years and to my surprise They want to go out and pick up girls and get wasted!!!!
They are over 40 years old!!!!!!!!!!!
Some people take some time to grow up..(some just don't)
Greg
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6-09-2009 @ 1:12AM
nzcr14 said...
OH YEAAAHH HALF BAKED? WHY?........ BECAUSE HE DRIVES A TOYOTA??????. OOPS you and the OSAMA poster
might be getting desperate knowing your anti jap cars campaign is FALLING A PART.
NO YOU ARE COCONUT 666 AND HE COULD DRIVE THE SPLINTERY GUITAR VERY WELL UP YOUR BUTT cause you may like it too
HEY DA BLIMP, the next time you are on the road and you get pissed off at some other driver stupidity or unskilled driving and you give him/her a dirty look; how would you like if he/her runs you in to a wall or down a cliff???????????.
works for me...
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6-09-2009 @ 8:45AM
Joe Coker said...
Look at it any way you want, it's still wrong to disrespect the trophy and the man that built it! Kyle Busch lost a fan sat. His actions show his arrogance and lack of respect for the sport that supports his lifestyle and celebrity. Nascar punishes drivers for saying cuss words but destroying a prized guitar is Ok.
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6-11-2009 @ 3:20AM
Go Kyle! said...
Kyle explained why he did this. Sam Bass agreed with Kyle before he changed his mind after he changed his mind the first time and then changed it. Reporters should report what happened and leave it at that. Kyle would likely do something simular but would likely make some changes. It happened and it's done, it was Kyles! Maybe Kyle hates guitars? Maybe he broke it to make up for the other races he came so close to winning. It's better to have he walk away and not talk than listen to some drivers complain about the track went away, my car was pushing etc. Everybody has to deal with those issues. Kyle is just as unique of a driver as he is on handling stuff like this.
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6-11-2009 @ 9:14AM
killerthud said...
Has anyone noticed the story about how US Fidalis is scamming thousands of people out of money by not honoring thier extended warranties,including elderly people that dont even have vehicles anymore.they are part of a investigation by the Better Buisness Burreau and the Attorney General in many states. I think that they should be forced to remove thier sponsorship from that vehicle and not be allowed to show commercials during Nascar races on TV.
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