Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com Motorsports FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Al Unser Jr. Almost Paid $750,000 to Keep an Alleged Sex Video Out of Public Eyehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/13/al-unser-jr-almost-paid-750-000-to-keep-an-alleged-sex-video-o/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/13/al-unser-jr-almost-paid-750-000-to-keep-an-alleged-sex-video-o/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/13/al-unser-jr-almost-paid-750-000-to-keep-an-alleged-sex-video-o/#commentsFiled under:

Al Unser, Jr., has had some legal troubles before: driving under the influence, hit and run, to name a few. But his latest mention in the news is just flat out bizarre.

See, it turns out that Unser is named as a potential (read: alleged) extortion victim in some sort of really oddball prostitution ring case in Albuquerque.
The District Attorney's Office says the suspect, 47-year-old Bobby McMullin, allegedly tried to blackmail Unser with claims of a "compromising" video in February and March 2004.

Prosecutors say the video was not connected with the suspected prostitution ring and that Unser was not a client of McMullin's.

McMullin allegedly asked Unser for $750,000, or he would release the tape to the public, according to the 137-count indictment against McMullin.

[...]The District Attorney's Office doesn't know how much money Unser paid to McMullin. It's unknown whether video even exists.
There are, quite obviously, a few very weird things about this case. First of all, I suppose that this is a relatively new case and that McMullin has really bad book keeping skills, but how can the DA's office not know how much money Unser paid to this guy?

And, um, to take that one step further ... if Unser's video had nothing to do with said prostitution ring and he wasn't a client of this alleged pimp, why did Unser pay him money? Yes, I know, it does seem a little ridiculous.

Al Unser Jr. Almost Paid $750,000 to Keep an Alleged Sex Video Out of Public Eye originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>al unser jrAlUnserJrWill BrinsonSat, 13 Dec 2008 12:30:00 EST FanHouse Talks to Dale Earnhardt Jr. About Amp, the Chase and Ride-Alongshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/05/fanhouse-talks-to-dale-earnhardt-jr-about-amp-the-chase-and-ri/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/05/fanhouse-talks-to-dale-earnhardt-jr-about-amp-the-chase-and-ri/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/05/fanhouse-talks-to-dale-earnhardt-jr-about-amp-the-chase-and-ri/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Recently, Wrangler Jeans was kind enough to invite FanHouse down to Charlotte to interview Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and -- I kid you not -- ride a couple laps in the 88 car. (Watch the full video of Will Brinson's ride with Dale Jr.) What follows is the conversation between Junior and myself about Hendrick Motorsports, Jimmie Johnson's dominance and how Amp is secretly a better post race drink than Budweiser.

Will Brinson: Thanks for having us down here to hang out, ride around in cars, and get our NASCAR feet wet.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Yeah, man, good to have you.

WB: I want to talk about the Sprint Cup for just a second. Jimmie [Johnson] is locked up, right? He's got his third straight title? What are your thoughts on that?

DE: Yeah, I think Jimmie's on record to set a new record, even to write history. I said to him the other day, "Man you're writing history". And I'm happy for him, he's a great guy ... I say to him all the time: "If people only knew who you are ...". But I think people do know Jimmie is and know he's a good guy. But man, he really deserves it; he works the hardest of any driver I know to stay in shape, to understand what's going on out there and to be ready do his job every Sunday. They're hard to beat man, and they earned it.

WB: Well, considering just how good Jimmie's been over the past three years, do you think there are any changes that need to be made in terms of how the Chase is setup?

DE: I don't think that the Chase needs any changes. I think you gotta give Jimmie credit for being that good under these circumstances this year. Sure, people are going to say he made a mockery of the Chase and this and that and the other, but he was just that good.

Give the guy credit; I don't think any changes really need to be made. NASCAR made a playoff system, it's very exciting and we had a guy run away with it -- we had a dominant team. But you have that in all sports, even with great playoff structures, you still get the dominant teams every once in a while. And we really are witnessing one of the greatest performances of this decade, if not the sport itself. So, I just think a lot of credit goes to Jimmie and the Chase is really in good shape the way it's setup right now.



WB: All right, cool, well, switching back to Hendrick -- you guys had an overall team that did really well in the regular season -- you think the change gives you a shot at a Championship in the future?

DE: Yeah, my switch gives me a great opportunity, not only in working with Rick as an owner, but he also takes really good care of his employees. He does such a great job as an owner, and makes you really proud to be a part of the team. He makes you feel like family and you really enjoy working for a guy like that and it makes you want to go out and work really hard. Aside from that, performance-wise and professionally, it gives me an opportunity to be in the Chase this year. If I have a couple other things that go differently, we're out there battling for a top-five finish in the points. We still have that opportunity, but we had a pretty good season up until the Chase started and we're proud of what we were able to do. We started this year saying "Alright, I'm a good race driver ... I got a good team ... I'm going into a program that's proven ... What's gonna happen?" We really didn't know. So we saw we can make it happen, we saw we can race well, so we're looking forward to next year.

WB: Right on ... I actually thought the toughest part of that transition, you know, not that Amp isn't a great product, but you had to go from Budweiser to Amp, which makes the post-race celebration a little tougher.

DE: A little different. But it's a mixer, man, you can make it whatever you want. It actually goes pretty well with vodka. [Laughter fills the room.] So the post-race stuff is still pretty fun. But it was different. I had a great relationship with Budweiser and I'd been with them for so long -- and it's different -- you know, it's weird to be used to doing things one way and totally change up. But it's been a great experience for me.



WB: Sure, well that's the nice thing about Wrangler -- you've been with them five years now, and they're your longest running sponsor. You want to give us a little background on how, you know, working with the Pettys and Victory Junction you guys put this event on today.

DE: Yeah, what we're doing today is basically the result of an auction we did online where the proceeds went to Victory Junction Gang, which is a camp for terminally ill kids that Kyle Petty runs. They're building a new camp in Kansas, and they've got one here in North Carolina -- and both camps are doing really well. Wrangler puts on the auction and they're auctioning off a ride in a racecar with me -- I'm gonna take a guy around the track for a few laps. He paid over $15,000 to do this, so we'll scare the heck out of him if we can ... give him a good little experience about what it's like to be inside the car. And we'll have a lot of fun with that, and he'll hopefully enjoy it.

We've done this auction several years in a row, it's worked very well so far, and we put a couple other items up there and it raises somewhere around $20,000 each year. And the people that are really solely responsible for this auction are Wrangler Jeans. And like you said, they've been with me for five years, they've been with my family working with my dad in the past ... literally they've been with me for almost 25, 30 years. It's been a great experience, they're great people, and I have a lot of fun doing these type of things.

I do a lot of these appearances all year long and one of the best ones is being able to take someone around a racetrack and see what you're doing. So I'm gonna take about 15 people for rides today and you're one of them (Ed. Note: *gulp*)... and also I have the opportunity to take a couple friends around the track and sneak them in for a couple laps.

WB: Nice, yeah, so Whiskey River, what's up with that ... downtown Charlotte?

DE: Yeah, I got into the bar business, and I've been looking to get into the bar business for about 10 years. But you've got to meet the right people and doing this with the right person -- you can certainly get in some shady deals. And I was able to get up with the right group and we partenered up with a good vision of what we wanted to create ... we created like a sports-rock, well, a country-rock bar. And there's no sign of racing, and you wouldn't ever know -- there's nothing sports affiliated in the thing, unless you count the mechanical bull -- we have a lot of fun with that thing, you know, the girls love it.



The bar's been open for about eight months, and we had Gary Allen open it up for us and he came back again and played it for a charity auction, and Dierks Bentley (above) used it for a CD release party, so that was a heck of a compliment, I was really excited about that. It's a lot of fun, I go about once or twice a month, get in there and see what's going on, see if we need to change anything up.

WB: Alright, well, I'm getting in the car with you in a few minutes, so I'm curious to find out what's the worst experience you've ever had in a ridealong before ...

DE: I haven't really had any bad ones before ... I guess the worst part is when you get someone who's really kind of freaking out and getting too nervous ... you don't want to scare anyone, obviously, don't want to really give anyone a bad experience (Nervous laughter ensues) ... my crew chief's wife, Amy, she's a little tiny thing and she was petrified and so that was tough and so I don't know if I was helping her out ... (More nervous laughter from both sides) ... I don't know if she'd every do it again. But I've never had anyone lose any bowels or lose any fluids out any, uh, end of their bodies.

(Entire room fills with laughter)

WB: Alright, Dale, well, thanks again for taking the time to talk to us and, uh, I'll try not to lose my bowels out there.

DE: Aw, man, don't worry, you'll be fine.

FanHouse Talks to Dale Earnhardt Jr. About Amp, the Chase and Ride-Alongs originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>dale earnhardtdale earnhardt jr.DaleEarnhardtDaleEarnhardtJr.dierks bentleyDierksBentleygary allenGaryAllenJimmie JohnsonJimmieJohnsonjr.Will BrinsonWed, 05 Nov 2008 12:40:00 EST Martin Doesn't Need Hendrick Head Starthttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/26/martin-doesnt-need-hendrick-head-start/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/26/martin-doesnt-need-hendrick-head-start/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/26/martin-doesnt-need-hendrick-head-start/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

ESPN.com's David Newton is reporting the driver who is replacing Casey Mears in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet in 2009 -- veteran Mark Martin -- might find himself getting a jump on that plan in the coming weeks.
Hendrick Motorsports is considering a plan that would put Mark Martin in the No. 5 car he'll take over in 2009 for the final race of this season at Homestead [-Miami] Speedway.

A contingency to the plan is getting Casey Mears, the current driver of the No. 5, into the fourth car at Richard Childress Racing that he will drive next season.

But in order to do that Mears would have to drive the No. 33, not the No. 07 that he is slated for because Clint Bowyer is driving that car in the Chase. Team owner Richard Childress said he is willing to put Mears in the No. 33 unsponsored if necessary.

"He won't go without a ride," Childress said.
Why wait until the last race at Homestead, you might ask? Well according to Newton, Martin is scheduled to drive in his current Dale Earnhardt Inc. part-time gig for the season's third and second to last races in Texas and Phoenix.

I'm not real sure, though, that making such a switch would truly benefit Martin or Mears (if ends up racing for RCR at Homestead).

Mark Martin is no rookie. The 49-year-old driver hasn't been out of the game for many years and has even driven a Hendrick Motorsports car in both Nationwide Series competition and Sprint Cup test sessions in 2008.

Needless to say, Martin won't be jumping feet first into an operation he doesn't know.

And on the Casey Mears side of things, he's not going to be driving in the No. 07 ride or with his future crew chief Gil Martin if he makes the start at Homestead with RCR instead of Hendrick.

All in all, it seems like a lot of headaches for something that won't really be huge gain for the 2009 season.

Martin Doesn't Need Hendrick Head Start originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>CaseyMearsChevroletClintBoywerFord400GilMartinHendrickMotorsportsHomesteadHomesteadMiamiSpeedwayMarkMartinRichardChildressRichardChildressRacingSprintCupGeoffrey MillerSun, 26 Oct 2008 16:04:00 EST Todd Palin Headed to Martinsville Speedway, Continues Republican NASCAR Swinghttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/16/gop-continues-nascar-swing-at-martinsville/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/16/gop-continues-nascar-swing-at-martinsville/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/16/gop-continues-nascar-swing-at-martinsville/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's first man husband will take his turn on the GOP's swing of NASCAR races with less than three weeks remaining in the presidential election.

The Alaskan governor's husband, Todd Palin, will serve as an "honorary race official" for Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va.

Now I doubt hubby Todd will find himself checking for missing lugnuts or counting the number of crew members over the wall during a pit stop, but I'll imagine he'll get the same treatment GOP presidential candidate John McCain's wife Cindy got a week ago at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Cindy McCain served as the "honorary race director" and her duties consisted of shaking hands and addressing the crowd briefly in a non-partisan manner before the race. Nope, Mrs. McCain wasn't responsible for any debris cautions last Saturday night, and that's a good thing unless she wants to be treated like her husband's running mate.

Regardless, it seems pretty apparent that both the Republican party and both tracks are utilizing the event to garner more voters and fill some empty seats by pandering to race fans who traditionally swing on the side of the political red.

Of course, that's not a 100 percent lock based on my non-scientific observation of a sizable portion of fans throwing boos toward Cindy McCain a week ago at LMS -- though it wasn't a majority.

The press release from the track definitely was on the uppity-up about Mr. Palin, boasting about his current line of work in Alaska:
As an honorary race official, Palin will be introduced in the drivers meeting early in the day, visit with drivers and other race officials in the pits and appear in prerace activities. While new to stock car racing, Palin is a world champion snow machine racer who is a lifelong Alaskan. He is a commercial fisherman, a production operator on Alaska's North Slope, and a member of the United Steelworkers Union. He and Governor Palin, who have five children, recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.
Tack on to that "future Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan" and "tired of the me-first attitude of Kyle Busch" and both the track and the GOP will be looking at a sure-fire NASCAR voter jackpot.

Todd Palin Headed to Martinsville Speedway, Continues Republican NASCAR Swing originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>CindyMcCainLowesMotorSpeedwayMartinsvilleSpeedwaySarahPalinSprintCupToddPalinTumsQuikPak500Geoffrey MillerThu, 16 Oct 2008 12:53:00 EST Rusty Wallace Denies NASCAR Return, Says Comeback Rumors 'Untrue'http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/01/rusty-wallace-considering-nascar-return/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/01/rusty-wallace-considering-nascar-return/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/01/rusty-wallace-considering-nascar-return/#commentsFiled under: , ,

UPDATE: Rusty Wallace released a statement Wednesday morning denying that he plans to make a return to NASCAR in 2009.
"I love Kenny to death; he's been trying to get me back in a car ever since I retired after 2005. While any rumors like this are certainly flattering, they're untrue. I have a long-term commitment to ABC and ESPN and I really love what I'm doing right now," said Wallace in a statement.
To me, this whole deal seems pretty bizarre, especially given that Rusty's brother put out the rumor. I have a feeling there might be more to this story than what meets the eye, but for now, it appears to be dead in the water.

Original: 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace is "considering" a return to NASCAR's top series in 2009, his brother Kenny Wallace said Tuesday night in an article posted on SPEEDTV.com.
"Six different crew members came up to me and said they'd heard a rumor Rusty was coming back to drive for [Dale Earnhardt Inc]," said Wallace in the article.

"These rumors get started in the Mooresville [N.C.] area because the [NASCAR team] shops are so close to each other and nothing can be kept secret for long. All I can say is that where there's smoke, there's fire. And he is definitely considering stepping back into a race car."
Rusty, who retired in 2005 after 25 seasons in NASCAR with 55 career wins, currently works as an analyst for ESPN and owns two Nationwide Series cars, one of which is driven by his son Steven.

I'm having a tough time not believing what Kenny said in the article for the sheer fact that he is Rusty's brother, and that that would seemingly prevent Wallace for spreading untrue rumors.

Also, the connection to Dale Earnhardt Inc. seems to make pretty good sense after it was just announced earlier on Tuesday that Paul Menard would be leaving the team to head to Yates Racing with the sponsorship from his dad's home improvement warehouse chain -- opening up a seat at the DEI table.

On the TV side of things, Rusty signed a six-year deal when he started out with ESPN that isn't close to expiration, which means that his contract would likely have to be broken if he were to run a full schedule in 2009.

Later in the article, Kenny explains -- from his point of view -- what kind of emotions he's seen his brother have in the past two years since leaving the drivers seat and how he was watched veteran Mark Martin go in to retirement and come back out to run a partial schedule and then a full schedule in 2009 with Hendrick Motorsports.

Kenny also made some very valid points about how Rusty would have to learn very quickly about the car of tomorrow platform that has been introduced since Rusty's '05 retirement and talked about how that his brother would likely get frustrated with the handling characteristics at the beginning.

Regardless, putting Rusty Wallace in a race car -- remember he qualified for the 2005 Chase -- is going to bring good dividends for any team, especially one like DEI that is looking to replace a departing NASCAR veteran.

This is an interesting story that will obviously gain legs as the week goes on, but for now, are you excited for Rusty's potential return? Or would you rather him just stay on the TV side of things?

Rusty Wallace Denies NASCAR Return, Says Comeback Rumors 'Untrue' originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>DaleEarnhardtInc.KennyWallaceNASCARRumorsNASCARSillySeasonPaulMenardPenskeRacingRustyWallaceSprintCupYatesRacingGeoffrey MillerWed, 01 Oct 2008 01:34:00 EST GEM Makes Carpentier a Free Agent; Allmendinger Decision Coming Soon?http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/09/17/gem-frees-carpentier-allmendinger-decision-soon/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/09/17/gem-frees-carpentier-allmendinger-decision-soon/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/09/17/gem-frees-carpentier-allmendinger-decision-soon/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Patrick Carpentier is a free man and the word on the future of A.J. Allmendinger & Red Bull Racing seems to be nearing.

On the Carpentier side of things, word came out Wednesday that Gillette-Evernham Motorsports has officially made NASCAR's favorite driving Canuck a free agent after his first season in a race car with fenders.

Carpentier is being let go effective at the end of 2008 in favor of the younger, more marketable but seemingly-similarly (say that five times) talented Reed Sorenson. Sorenson is departing Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 41 ride after having a disappointing foray into the Sprint Cup Series racing with that team.

Carpentier's story is one that just makes you want to frown and say "that just ain't fair" because of his noted improvement from when he started driving a NASCAR (hasn't even been a year yet) to now, on top of his interesting and always honest personality. Given the right opportunity with a patient car owner and sponsor, Carpentier could easily succeed as a solid driver in NASCAR.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that's going to happen, and that's a shame.

Speaking of potential shames (Can you really make that plural? Probably not. Works for me, though.) the future relationship betwee Red Bull Racing and A.J. Allmendinger appears headed toward a crossroads in the very near future with a decision on 2009 coming soon.

Red Bull retained team general manager Jay Frye earlier this week after he traveled to Austria last week to discuss his own personal contract, as well as what the Red Bull driver lineup would look like in 2009. Frye had been linked to a possible move to Stewart-Haas Racing, but a multi-year contract with Red Bull ended that speculation.

Frye's move, though, doesn't indicate much in the way of Allemendinger's future, though here at FanHouse, we took A.J.'s side after his stellar sophomore season in the like-new Toyota operation.

For some reason -- I can't find the exact quote or source -- I'm under the impression that Frye is a fan of Allmendinger and that Frye signing on for more years at Red Bull is only good news for the talented A.J.

I'll claim my bias in this situation because I really feel like A.J. has done more than enough in 2008 to land himself a new contract with Red Bull. What say you, though? Should A.J. stick around at Red Bull? And should Carpentier stick with this stock car thing?

GEM Makes Carpentier a Free Agent; Allmendinger Decision Coming Soon? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AJAllmendingerDodgeGEMGilletteEvernhamMotorsportsPatrickCarpentierRedBullRacingSprintCupToyotaGeoffrey MillerWed, 17 Sep 2008 23:01:00 EST Break Up with Clint Bowyer, Find FHMhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/break-up-with-clint-bowyer-find-fhm/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/break-up-with-clint-bowyer-find-fhm/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/break-up-with-clint-bowyer-find-fhm/#commentsFiled under: ,

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Clint Bowyer must have the magic touch -- after you break up with him.

Athena Barber, shown to the right, was voted the hottest NASCAR Girlfriend back in 2007 in a vote done by Sports Illustrated, but lost that title in 2008 after she and the Emporia, Kan.-driver parted ways to the puzzlement of male NASCAR fans everywhere.

Well, as TGOM over at Answer This spotted this week, Barber has found her way into the camera lens of the magazine FHM. I've included the link below.

In the interview/photo shoot, Barber opens up quite a bit about being the arm candy of Clint Bowyer and what its like for the wives and girlfriends of the sport, both at the track and at home.

A lot of it's very informative (she talks about how Clint would never, ever drive even if he had a sip of alcohol) and a lot of it's kind of humorous (she says that the WAGs even take sides when drivers get into it on the track).

The most impressive part of the still-single Barber's interview, though, was how Barber is legitimately is a NASCAR fan and car lover:
What's the best part about being a NASCAR girlfriend?

Barber: For me it was personally the fact that I just loved the sport. The fact that you could do that every weekend, be at all those tracks and be rubbing shoulders with guys that are legends and champions. That to me was awesome. [...]

You've always been around auto-racing, have you always been attracted to the drivers?

Barber: Always! I can't honestly date somebody who doesn't know stuff about cars. It drives me nuts. If I know more about cars than a guy, it's just not gonna happen! It might be the nicest guy in the world, but it's a total turn-off to me.
Later in the interview, she even talks about her favorite car of all-time, the 89-93 generation of the Ford Mustang, which, to me, solidifies her auto enthusiasm as quite realistic.

Barber seems well-educated enough about the sport, and the fact that she doesn't want to really date another NASCAR driver because she doesn't want to be labeled as a girl that gets around the sport is pretty classy.

She's attractive, classy, and loves cars.

FHM: Thank you. Clint Bowyer: What the heck were you thinking?

Break Up with Clint Bowyer, Find FHM originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AthenaBarberClintBowyerNASCARWAGsRichardChildressRacingGeoffrey MillerWed, 27 Aug 2008 12:01:00 EST Toyota Package Getting Checked by NASCARhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/15/toyota-package-getting-checked-by-nascar/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/15/toyota-package-getting-checked-by-nascar/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/15/toyota-package-getting-checked-by-nascar/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

There's been plenty of discussion in the comment sections, and a few of you have written in to inquire more about, so I'd figure I'd try to paint a clear picture in the muddied waters of NASCAR engines.

So is Toyota really at an advantage this season?

Well, yeah.

They've got Kyle Busch. What more do you need to know?

In all seriousness, though, sources across the garage area are saying that Toyota's Nationwide Series package -- no word on the Sprint Cup package -- has given the manufacturer at least a 20 horsepower advantage.

20 doesn't sound like a bunch, but when you consider the rule changes that the Nationwide Series received in 2008 that robbed the cars of horsepower, it becomes a bigger influence. I'm not smart enough to know what kind of speed difference that results in, but I do know that it makes a difference and can give teams more play in how they make the downforce package work on their car.

This whole "Toyota Has More Than Thou" sentiment hasn't just bubbled up, either. Back in March, Kevin Harvick and Jack Roush -- both owners in the Nationwide Series -- stated the same thing that we're hearing now from Clint Bowyer's crew chief: Toyota has at least 20 more ponies under the hood than everyone else.

Yes, NASCAR did confiscate the engines from 10 cars in Friday night's race for testing this week in the NASCAR R&D center in North Carolina, and any rule changes or amendments from that work would likely be announced this weekend or next at Nashville or Indianapolis.

They probably wouldn't take effect for at least another month, which isn't great news for the fans of parity in the Nationwide Series considering David Reutimann in a Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota ran away from the field while the sun was up Friday night, and then watched as Kyle Busch drove his Toyota to the 14th Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide win of the season.

On the Sprint Cup side of things, a number of cars were taken into post-race inspection after Saturday night's LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland, but I don't know if NASCAR confiscated those engines for testing, too.

FOX Sports analyst Darrell Waltrip was asked whether or not NASCAR took Sprint Cup engines with them after the event on Wind Tunnel Sunday night on SPEED, and he inferred that they had, but I have a feeling he was a little confused about the question.

From my perspective, I'm seeing the fact that Toyota has a big advantage in the Nationwide Series. It simply doesn't make sense to me that Carl Edwards would be so far off from his impressive season one year ago as champion when nothing changed too dramatically in the series.

As for a Sprint Cup advantage? I think the only one Toyota has right now is a driver advantage in Kyle Busch. That team has good cars, a good driver, but more importantly, every single team member is gelling and producing great chemistry -- something that no test can measure. There were hardly no changes in the CoT from one year ago when Hendrick dominated with it, so its tough to see where there's a clear difference.

Toyota's got somethin', whether its a driver, an engine, or both. Regardless, NASCAR is still an entertainment business and you can bet that they will find something -- or anything as some fans hope -- to reign in Toyota.

Toyota Package Getting Checked by NASCAR originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>ChevroletChicaglandSpeedwayDodgeFordJackRoushKevinHarvickKyleBuschLifeLock400NationwideSeriesSprintCupTonyStewartToyotaGeoffrey MillerTue, 15 Jul 2008 11:28:00 EST Rumors Link Stewart, Earnhardt Jr. in Cuphttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/05/19/rumors-link-stewart-earnhardt-jr-in-cup/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/05/19/rumors-link-stewart-earnhardt-jr-in-cup/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/05/19/rumors-link-stewart-earnhardt-jr-in-cup/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

It wouldn't really be a NASCAR season without Dale Earnhardt Jr. at least grabbing a part of the headline spotlight, would it?

The folks over at the Charlotte Observer (arguably the sport's best coverage in my book) seem to be getting wind of Junior starting to work with Tony Stewart about a ride with JR Motorsports at the Sprint Cup level. From the story:
Several sources have confirmed to The Charlotte Observer and ThatsRacin.com that JR Motorsports, which currently fields two Nationwide series teams and is owned by Earnhardt Jr., is also an option.

Under this scenario, JR Motorsports would field at least two Cup teams and likely abandon its Nationwide program or scale it down significantly, sources said. JR Motorsports already receives chassis and engines from Hendrick Motorsports and could continue that relationship on the Cup side.
Stewart first started to make news a few weeks ago when he announced that all options are on the table after his contract ends with Joe Gibbs Racing -- the only team Stewart has ever raced for in Sprint Cup -- after 2009.



Of course, it's widely known that Stewart and Earnhardt Jr. are very good friends, so this connection seems to make sense on that level. The fact that Dale Earnhardt Jr. told the media last week in his interviews that he's looking at moving JR Motorsports to the Cup level only tosses gallons of fuel on to this fire.

So let's put this together. Dale Earnhardt Jr. driving for Hendrick, while he owns a JR Motorsports Sprint Cup operation.

The shades of how his father, Dale Earnhardt, ran such an operation (Dale Earnhardt Inc.) while racing for Richard Childress Racing did the same thing can't be overlooked.

And for Stewart the JR Motorsports option seems like it would be much, much more successful in the long-run than Haas-CNC Racing.

Rumors Link Stewart, Earnhardt Jr. in Cup originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 19 May 2008 23:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>ChevroletCocaCola600DaleEarnhardtIncDaleEarnhardtJrHendrickMotorsportsJoeGibbsRacingJRMotorsportsLowesMotorSpeedwayRichardChildressRacingSprintCupTonyStewartGeoffrey MillerMon, 19 May 2008 23:45:00 EST NASCAR's Rain Dance? Fine With Mehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/26/nascars-position-between-rock-and-hard-place/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/26/nascars-position-between-rock-and-hard-place/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/26/nascars-position-between-rock-and-hard-place/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I know I was one of those NASCAR fans that stayed up far too late into the night (and early morning) in anticipation of Auto Club 500 being wrapped up in the wee hours of morning, eastern time, on Sunday.

I know I was ticked that after staying up until 2am/ET to hear FOX's Chris Myers tell us that the race had been officially called and would resume some 11 hours later.

After all, the rain had stopped hours earlier, and generally a race track could be dry and raceable within that time.

But it wasn't because water continued to seep through the track and dew was collecting. And that really set a lot of fans off.

They've complained that NASCAR screwed them by making them stay up late (on the east coast) for a race that could have potentially ended when New Yorkers were waking up for coffee. The ones in the stands in California thought they had been strung along for far too long, and booed the decision.

But really, what more can you expect? I can't blame NASCAR in this decision because I've been in the stands at a race track when NASCAR jumped the gun too quickly under a rain delay.

The 2003 Coca-Cola 600 turned out to be the Coca-Cola 414 after a rain delay appeared to be too much for NASCAR. They claimed they couldn't dry the track quick enough and that there was more rain moving in.

Of course, as we left the speedway, there was nothing but starry skies and the rain didn't come again until early the next morning. To make things more disappointing, the 1997 event faced two rain delays -- including one after the halfway mark -- and NASCAR kept racing until well-past 1am/ET.

We saw a race that night because NASCAR stuck it out, and boy was it worth it.

So how can fans be so hard on NASCAR this time around? NASCAR played the waiting game for so long for a couple of reasons: the rain the was done, the track was drying, there were fans in the stands, and it was the west coast.

Throw in the Auto Club Speedway's lights and that sounds like a perfect scenario to get a race in given that teams had to report to Las Vegas by Thursday evening for the next weekend's race. And no -- that's not a direct trip.

Fans will complain that the TV audience would have been horrible had the race started at 2am/ET and that most of the world would miss it. That's a fair argument, but it frankly doesn't matter.

There were human beings sitting in the stands who planned to see a race on Sunday, not Monday in California and that had waited for the series to get the track dry. So what if the race last until 2am/PT time? The fans would have seen a show and then went to work on Monday morning with little to no sleep, admiring NASCAR's dedication to get the race in.

Instead, any fans that wanted to come had to take a day off.

Complain all you want about having to stay up late, or whatever excuse you can come up with, but the truth is, NASCAR did the right thing.

The way I see it? It was truly a chance NASCAR was willing to take in its bid to get back to the basics. The fans in California wanted a race on Sunday, so NASCAR tried its darndest. When it didn't work out, they pulled the plug -- and I'd rather see that pulled on the long end of time than the short end.

For that, NASCAR, a job well done.

NASCAR's Rain Dance? Fine With Me originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AutoClub500AutoClubSpeedwayGeoffrey MillerTue, 26 Feb 2008 23:07:00 EST Daytona Testing Continues; Gibbs Retireshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/08/daytona-testing-continues-gibbs-retires-from-nfl/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/08/daytona-testing-continues-gibbs-retires-from-nfl/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/08/daytona-testing-continues-gibbs-retires-from-nfl/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The NASCAR world has seen a mildly busy morning in terms of news. Testing is continuing in Daytona, Joe Gibbs retired from his second stint at coaching the Washington Redskins, and Garth Brooks has been confirmed as a NASCAR spokesman for 2008.

Scroll down for more.

Johnson Continues Speed Domination at Daytona

Jimmie Johnson is doing his best rendition of Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold" during the first two days of testing.

For the third-straight session, Johnson topped Tuesday morning's test charts in his No. 48 Chevrolet with a speed of 184.763mph. Former Formula 1 driver Jacques Villeneuve moved into second place on the day with Travis Kvapil third, Casey Mears fourth, and A.J. Allmendinger fifth.
In other words, there seems to be no way for teams to adjust the next-generation car that NASCAR has gone to for the 2008's entirety. Teams appear to be in the mode of "what you brought is what you've got".

Good thing this has only applied to qualifying setups so far. Let's hope drafting packages for the race actually show teams making some strides in handling and speed.

Joe Gibbs Retires from NFL's Washington Redskins

Joe Gibbs second go-around with the NFL's Washington Redskins as head coach turned out two playoff berths, but no Super Bowl rings. Regardless, he'll still go down as one of the greats in NFL history -- and NASCAR, too.

The 67-year-old retired Tuesday after the fourth of a five-year contract that he signed in 2004.

Gibbs' isn't nearly as involved with his race team, Joe Gibbs Racing, as he used to be (mainly due to coaching) but I'd look for the legendary coach and three-time Cup Series champion car owner to be a higher presence around the garage area in 2008.

After all, his son J.D. Gibbs might have a little more on his plate to handle this year with the addition of Kyle Busch to the already fiery lineup of Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. Throw in the addition of Toyota to that mix and 2008 will be an adventure for JGR if nothing else.

Garth Brooks Confirmed as NASCAR Day Spokesman

As we already discussed earlier Tuesday morning, Garth Brooks will be taking a role of spokesman for both NASCAR and it's annual day of fundraising, NASCAR Day for 2008.

Artist of the decade, 2-time Grammy winner, and Artist of the Century have all been awards bestowed on the country star. With that kind of starpower and a more keen ability to please more fans of NASCAR, the choice of Brooks to be the face of the program for 2008 is a good choice.

Brooks will appear in a "print, radio, and television campaign" set to begin with the Daytona 500 in February. There's no word yet if he'll play the now-annual pre-race concert for the 50th edition of "The Great American Race".

Daytona Testing Continues; Gibbs Retires originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>DaytonaTestingGarthBrooksJoe GibbsJoeGibbsGeoffrey MillerTue, 08 Jan 2008 14:39:00 EST Garth Brooks to Help With NASCAR Day '08http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/08/garth-brooks-to-help-with-nascar-day-08/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/08/garth-brooks-to-help-with-nascar-day-08/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/01/08/garth-brooks-to-help-with-nascar-day-08/#commentsFiled under: ,

Now that's a large step away from Kelly Clarkson.

NASCAR has an announcement scheduled for Tuesday during the midst of Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway to set plans for this year's NASCAR Day, the one-day annual fundraising drive for the NASCAR Foundation.

Those plans apparently, according to the NASCAR press release, will include country crooner Garth Brooks.

NASCAR Day began three years ago and evidently has found a spot to keep on the third Friday of May each year. The money is raised through buying NASCAR day pins and a telethon hosted by NASCAR personalities.

The money, NASCAR says, is given from "fans, corporations, schools and organizations across the country to raise money for The NASCAR Foundation and its Family of Charities in an effort to help thousands of children live better lives."

Last year, NASCAR used pop star Kelly Clarkson in this role to help not only drive funds for NASCAR Day, but also to play a pair of concerts for the sanctioning body. One came during the pre-race festivities of the Daytona 500 and the other came during the Cup Series awards banquet in New York City at the close of the season.

Could Garth be getting to same action from NASCAR officials this year? It looks like it.

Over the off-season and through 2007, a common complaint from NASCAR fans was how far NASCAR was stretching for entertainment acts. Many felt that NASCAR was hiring in talent like Clarkson and Jewel in 2006 in an effort to portray an image of the sport that NASCAR wanted to have, instead of what type of entertainment and image the fans were truly looking for or wanted to get behind.

Garth Brooks appears to be more back in the direction of a typical NASCAR fan, but is also an artist that can cross boundaries. As country singers go, Brooks, a 2-time Grammy award winner, has definitely become more mainstream over the course of his career.

I say nice choice NASCAR -- unless they somehow tie in his current swan song "More Than a Memory" to the fundraising campaign. Otherwise, it's a solid choice that many NASCAR fans will appreciate.

What say you?

Garth Brooks to Help With NASCAR Day '08 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 09:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>GarthBrooksNASCARDayGeoffrey MillerTue, 08 Jan 2008 09:23:00 EST Ingrid Challenged by Fellow NASCAR WAGhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/15/ingrid-challenged-by-fellow-nascar-wag/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/15/ingrid-challenged-by-fellow-nascar-wag/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/15/ingrid-challenged-by-fellow-nascar-wag/#commentsFiled under: , ,


After several rounds of knocking out the competition from other sports for the Hottest Sports Wife / Girlfriend, NASCAR champ Jeff Gordon's wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, is facing a match up with another NASCAR WAG--the one considered the hottest by the drivers themselves: Athena Barber, girlfriend of Clint Bowyer.

She's not just popular with the guys, either. She's so adored by NASCAR WAG fans that Bowyer is sometimes referred to as "Athena's boyfriend." There is no shortage of compliments for the girlfriend--from praise for showing constant support for her man to the way she dresses, down to the shoes and accessories. But perhaps her best asset is her genuine smile that accompanies almost every one of her casually sexy, but never overdone outfits--unless you count heels at the racetrack over doing it, which I don't. I must say, the top in this pic isn't one of my favs ... see better examples here.

What say you, NASCAR fans? Cast your vote at Epic Carnival!

Ingrid Challenged by Fellow NASCAR WAG originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>athena barberAthenaBarberingrid vandeboschIngridVandeboschtallglassofmilkThu, 15 Nov 2007 18:30:00 EST France: We Will Keep Chase, You Will Like Ithttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/10/france-we-will-keep-chase-you-will-like-it/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/10/france-we-will-keep-chase-you-will-like-it/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/10/france-we-will-keep-chase-you-will-like-it/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

NASCAR Chairman Brian France really loves the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

And because of that, don't expect any major amends to the format, or a complete reversal back to the standard point system -- regardless if many fans and at least one top driver questions how it affects the sport's future integrity.

France cited the increased point amounts for winning a race as a major reason why the Chase is working so well.

Example 1-A? Jimmie Johnson last week at Texas Motor Speedway.
"I actually called Jimmie Johnson on the phone and told him that [afterward]," France said. "By going after that win, he risked a lot -- because he knew how close it was and he knew that those bonus points were maybe going to be necessary to win it all. I think in the old days, a couple years ago, somebody might have settled for second."
Sure, you can't argue with the fact that adding 10 points to the winner's prize for a race was a good move. In fact, that number should be 20 to 30 points higher.

But are winning championships in the 10-race Chase playoff comparable to the "old" point system? Jeff Gordon doesn't see it that way.
"The points are whatever NASCAR decides when it comes to racing for a championship. The one issue that I've got is that there is no way you can write history or compare history if they are constantly changing it," said Gordon.
You could say Gordon is bitter knowing that he would be celebrating his sixth championship right now had the point system not been changed. But he isn't, as he acknowledges that racing under the system is laid out at the beginning of the year and everyone knows the goal.
"I don't think anything is unfair because you know going into it what it is," Gordon said. "You knew that they were going to get bonus points for winning races in the regular season, and those guys earned those points. We know what we've got to do."
So what's right? What's wrong? It's hard to say.

But I've got to agree wth Gordon that the Chase does change the overall makeup of a Cup champion, and that they aren't comparable. But is the lack of comparison woth giving twelve drivers a shot at a title with ten races left?

What say you?

France: We Will Keep Chase, You Will Like It originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brian FranceBrianFrancechampionshipsInternational Speedway CorporationInternationalSpeedwayCorporationNASCARPhoenix International RacewayPhoenixInternationalRacewaySprint CupSprintCupGeoffrey MillerSat, 10 Nov 2007 19:54:00 EST Ingrid Still the Hottest, Up Against Hollywoodhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/09/ingrid-still-the-hottest-up-against-hollywood/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/09/ingrid-still-the-hottest-up-against-hollywood/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/09/ingrid-still-the-hottest-up-against-hollywood/#commentsFiled under: , ,

NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon's wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, is still holding her own in Our Book of Scrap's Hottest Sports WAG title competition.

After handily crushing her two recent challengers Christy Cooley (60/40), and Patricia Mikula (75/25), Ingrid now holds an impressive 8-0 record with 7 KO's.

Hotter than an NFL cheerleader? Check.

Hotter than a Playboy Cyber Girl? Check.

Hotter than a 25-year-old actress? In progress.

Ingrid's latest challenger, "One Tree Hill" actress Sophia Bush, current female companion of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, is currently lagging in the poll with only 38% of the votes to Ingrid's 62%.

Fantastic. But much like watching the same drivers lead the points race week in and week out, waiting for Ingrid to crush the competition time and time again is getting a tad boring.

Do we to shake things up a bit? Maybe it's time to throw Clint Bowyer's girlfriend into the mix.

Ingrid Still the Hottest, Up Against Hollywood originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 09 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ingrid VandeboschIngridVandeboschtallglassofmilkFri, 09 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST Jeff Burton Agrees: ESPN on ABC is "Absurd"http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/07/jeff-burton-agrees-espn-on-abc-is-absurd/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/07/jeff-burton-agrees-espn-on-abc-is-absurd/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/07/jeff-burton-agrees-espn-on-abc-is-absurd/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


I feel bad for Marty Reid, I really do.

Dude got shoved into a segment on ESPN2's NASCAR Now showing ESPN's impressive NASCAR coverage. Or, well, I hope he got shoved into it.

Before I rip the whole segment apart, let me allow Jeff Burton, ESPN's token driver voice for their coverage to do so as he did in the video:

"Well the first word that comes to mind is absurd. The first goal of racing is to be there at the end. This system would award people and reward people for doing things that actually would hamper the way they would finish the race," said Burton.

"So it makes no sense -- you used the worst example in the world at Talladega to expose a problem, when in fact, we don't have this problem at most race tracks. So you have to run toward the front, you have to run hard in order to be competitive at almost every race track with the exception of Talladega. So, in a word, I think it's absurd."

Amen, Jeff.

For me, this whole segment (with a nice after-touch of Judge Judy) shows why ESPN and NASCAR fans haven't exactly gotten along this season.

ESPN has forced Rusty Wallace, Erik Kuselias, Draft Tracker, Brent "insurmountable" Musberger and the Full Throttle scanner bologna down our throats all year long. This bird-brained point system idea is just another reason why ESPN isn't doing NASCAR right. ESPN says that we can't think for ourselves, and then does it for us.

What exactly is it about the current point system that is so wrong? Is there a race beside Talladega that has seen drivers race at the back the whole time?

No. No. And no.

I'm glad Jeff Burton felt that it was his place to step up and say what he wanted. I really wish we could have heard what David Poole of the Charlotte Observer had to say, because I can imagine it would have been similar.

NFLCAR? No way!

And really, let's be honest, who of us have watched the start of the race, and then watched more of the race, and then watched the whole race?

Apparently, the whole ESPN network might be surprised.

Jeff Burton Agrees: ESPN on ABC is "Absurd" originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>ESPNESPN on ABCESPN2EspnOnAbcMarty ReidMartyReidmoronsNASCAR nowNASCAR on ESPN on ABCNascarNowNascarOnEspnOnAbcNextel CupNextelCupRusty WallaceRustyWallaceGeoffrey MillerWed, 07 Nov 2007 23:43:00 EST Atlanta to Lose Race Date Instead of NHMS?http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/06/bahre-drinking-kool-aid-atlanta-to-lose-race/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/06/bahre-drinking-kool-aid-atlanta-to-lose-race/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/06/bahre-drinking-kool-aid-atlanta-to-lose-race/#commentsFiled under: , ,

You've really got wonder if now-former New Hampshire International Motor Speedway owner Bob Bahre really believes the words that are coming out of his mouth:
"He didn't make any promises, I want to make that clear," Bahre said. "But I don't think he's going to move any dates out of here.
Bahre's speedway was sold last week to Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports, Inc. SMI owns the tracks of Atlanta, Bristol, Infineon, Las Vegas, Lowe's, and Texas.

There was rampant speculation last week -- including here at the Fanhouse -- that Smith would immediately move one or both of New Hampshire's Nextel Cup race dates to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Smith denied that such a plan was in place during the announcement, but he didn't necessarily say anything that denied the move could happen, either.

Now we've heard Smith deny that, but he also gave another plausible idea:

Ship a date away from Atlanta Motor Speedway.

If you think about the idea, it makes sense on the level of selling tickets. Atlanta had noticeably open seats two weeks ago while NHMS has sold out for years. Obviously, Atlanta is a bigger market, but California has proved how much that doesn't matter when it comes to selling tickets.

So one date at Atlanta for two at NHMS and Las Vegas? I don't know what I think about that. The history in Atlanta -- albeit an old configuration -- might be a little too much.

What say you?

Atlanta to Lose Race Date Instead of NHMS? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Atlanta Motor SpeedwayAtlantaMotorSpeedwayBob BahreBobBahreBruton SmithBrutonSmithLas Vegas Motor SpeedwayLasVegasMotorSpeedwayNew Hampshire International RacewayNew Hampshire Motor SpeedwayNewHampshireInternationalRacewayNewHampshireMotorSpeedwaynhisSpeedway MotorsportsSpeedwayMotorsportsTexas Motor SpeedwayTexasMotorSpeedwayGeoffrey MillerTue, 06 Nov 2007 22:08:00 EST Mrs. Gordon Continues Title Defense, Playboy Cyber Girl Next Challengerhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/10/21/mrs-gordon-continues-title-defense-playboy-cyber-girl-next-cha/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/10/21/mrs-gordon-continues-title-defense-playboy-cyber-girl-next-cha/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/10/21/mrs-gordon-continues-title-defense-playboy-cyber-girl-next-cha/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jeff Gordon's wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, has won another round of Our Book of Scrap's Hottest Wife/Girlfriend in Sports contest, defeating former Washington Redskins cheerleader Christy Oglevee.

The next sports WAG to challenge Ingrid for the title is Polish-American Playboy Cyber Girl Patrycja Mikula, girlfriend of UFC Fighter Andrei Arlovski.

A little about Patricia, in her own words (and punctuation):
Im very down to earth, people that dont know me sometimes think Im stuck up but looks are very deceiving.Dont judge the book by its cover :)Im also very honest, I speak my mind. If I dont like something or someone,they will know about it. What's the point of being fake?
What's the point of fake ... ? Um ... aren't those ... ? Oh, nevermind. If you must know, Google "Patrycja Mikula nude." You can try Googling "Ingrid Vandebosch nude," too, but you won't have any luck. (Answer this... gets plenty traffic out of that little inquiry.)

But before you go off searching for photos ... turn your attention back to the poll. So far consensus seems to be that "classy trumps trashy." Will the trend continue? Survey at the time of this posting says yes:

Ingrid=70
Patrycja=30

Cast your VOTE!

Mrs. Gordon Continues Title Defense, Playboy Cyber Girl Next Challenger originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 21 Oct 2007 01:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Andrei ArlovskiAndreiArlovskiingrid vandeboschIngridVandeboschPatrycja MikulaPatrycjaMikulatallglassofmilkSun, 21 Oct 2007 01:35:00 EST Biff Ties the Knot, Honeymoons in Martinsvillehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/10/19/the-biff-ties-the-knot/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/10/19/the-biff-ties-the-knot/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/10/19/the-biff-ties-the-knot/#commentsFiled under: ,

At just around 6:15PM on Wednesday, Oct. 17, Greg Biffle and his longtime girlfriend Nicole Lunders were pronounced husband and wife in a little white chapel at the Palmetto Bluff Resort in South Carolina.

The couple met in the spring of 1998 and began dating officially later that summer. Last Christmas, Greg decided it was time to propose and Nicole happily accepted. Plans were made for an autumn wedding at the southern resort located about 20 minutes from Savannah.

Greg and Nicole exchanged vows with just over 100 of their family and friends on hand for the ceremony. Katie Kenseth served as the matron of honor and Rodger Ueltschi, a childhood friend of Greg's, served as the best man. Also included in wedding party were Michele Lunders (sister-in-law of the bride), Kris Rondeau (friend of the bride), Amy Wilson (friend of the bride), Jeff Biffle (brother of the groom), Tony Lunders (brother of the bride) and Matt Kenseth (friend of the groom). The newlyweds also included three other family members, Foster, Gracie and Savannah (two boxers and a rescue dog), in the post-wedding photos.

The bride was escorted down the aisle by her father Russ and wore a custom backless white dress with a Chantilly lace overlay by Bonaparte NY and designer Junko Yoshioka. The bridesmaids wore lavender dresses by Vera Wang. Following the ceremony, guests were invited to have cocktails on the lawn where the setting could well have been the backdrop for a scene in "Gone with the Wind". Guests were treated to a six-course dinner at the Palmetto Bluff Inn and a reception with drinks and dancing followed.

The Biffles would like to extend their sincerest gratitude to everyone in the NASCAR family for their best wishes at this joyful time.

No plans for honeymoon yet - Martinsville dogs this weekend.

Congrats to the happy couple!

Biff Ties the Knot, Honeymoons in Martinsville originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>tallglassofmilkFri, 19 Oct 2007 17:23:00 EST WARNING! NASCAR Races Could Be Hazardous To Your <s>Health</s> Lifehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/10/17/warning-nascar-races-could-be-hazardous-to-your-s-health-s-l/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/10/17/warning-nascar-races-could-be-hazardous-to-your-s-health-s-l/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/10/17/warning-nascar-races-could-be-hazardous-to-your-s-health-s-l/#commentsFiled under: , ,

So ... my lil' tongue-in-cheek post about Rep. Robin Hayes' (NC-R) confusion over Homeland Security's directive that Congress members be immunized before attending a NASCAR race touched a few nerves.

Many readers are appalled at the notion of politicians needing to be immunized against a bunch of rednecks. Lowe's Motor Speedway President Humpy Wheeler wasn't thrilled either:
"The very idea of immunization is laughable. It's like taping your ankles to go to the mailbox. This is not some third- or fourth-world country. "
But the reality is, it's not laughable at all, despite the media and politicians having a little fun with the issue:
Linda Daves, the chairwoman of the North Carolina Republican Party:
"Democrats should know that there is no preventive measure yet designed to ward off the blue-collar values and patriotism that NASCAR fans represent. If they aren't careful, they just might catch some of it."
The liberal media twisted and shouted "NASCAR smear on Democrats" campaign!

Turns out the shots were recommended because the staffers were visiting health care facilities--or so they say. Perhaps they're just pretending to offend the public rather than alarm it.

Amidst all the nonsense surrounding "NASCAR Coooties," the very serious reality of our national security issues has gone ignored in the dialogue. I seriously doubt that it's the NASCAR crowd that has Homeland Security concerned. It's the "public, mass gathering" aspect of the event, i.e., every NASCAR race is a potential terrorist target.

Rep. Bernie Thompson (MS-D) admitted as much in a Fox News interview which had him squared off with Rep. Robin Hayes (NC-R):
Now, I don't know about you, but I've had a pit in my stomach over the possibility of a terrorist attack before the start of the Daytona 500 every year since 2002. I'm just usually thinking bombs, not biologicals. I don't go around talking about it 'cause I don't want to be the one to give anybody any ideas, but now that it's out there ...

Instead of pointing and laughing at politicians, we should be asking if our beloved NASCAR drivers and their teams, sponsors, etc., have received all available immunizations against known toxic agents that could potentially be used as a biological weapon. And we should be asking why Congress it is only protecting themselves against this perceived threat and isn't recommending immunizations for all track workers, fans and other race attendees.

If a terrorist decided to unleash a biological weapon at an NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL game, their respective leagues would be down a team or two. The enemy decides to get cute at the Daytona 500 ... that could be the end of our sport.

WARNING! NASCAR Races Could Be Hazardous To Your Health Life originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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