Garrett Duke

Thanks TRP Coltrane for posting the articles. Great ones on Jeff and Dale Jr. Am very glad to see them both have pretty good seasons. After getting a new crew chief, new pit crew, new cars, new garage it all was a BIG change for them both and was unsure what that would hold for them. Sure Gordon had a dismal chase, but not all to his own doing. He had help. Like his engine failing. His brakes going out, Trevor Bayne abandoning him at Talledega...and running out of gas. So forth. But he had a great regular season and am hopeful he can continue it next year with Alan Gustafson who proved to be a great crew cheif to Jeff Gordon and team 24. Dale Jr may not have had a win this year, but this is the best season he has had in years. He had the same changes as Gordon did and it seemed to do him a world of difference. Steve Letarte was Gordon's crew cheif last year and I was sad to see him leave him...but it looks like both teams gained a lot from the switch. Am so happy to hear Jr happy to be racing and happy with Steve Letarte. The past few years I was wondering if he was happy or got along with his crew. With that said, with a year behind them of working together with their new crew, new cars, and new garage, things can only get better for the both of them. This year they will go into the season knowing their crew and crew cheif. Will know each other's styles and likes and dislikes. They are not going into the unknown as they had last year, but have experience of working together behind them. Am REALLY looking forward to the 2012 season to start!

The runner up for the 2010 Sprint Cup Champion, Denny Hamlin, went from a contender for the win last year to finishing nineth this year. Though sitting here saying he finished nineth, to me, doesn't sound too bad considering the type of bad luck he has had to face and overcome this year. He only won one year compared to the several wins he won last year... Well Joe Gibbs, who owns Denny Hamlin's car, has fired his crew chief, Mike Ford who he has been with for several years...did that a couple of days ago. And today he has hired Darian Grub to be Denny Hamlin's crew cheif. Grub may not make the big headlines as baseball star Albert Pujoles (Sp?) made this week with his redicioulous new contract ($254 million dollars for ten years with the Angels...that's 25.4 mil dollars a year...wish he'd share some of that with me!). But after taking Tony Stewart into the chase and to the 2011 Sprint Cup championship...I'd say he's a great grab for the eleven team of Denny Hamlin. Though do feel bad for Mike Ford...he seems to be a good cc they were just plagued with a lot of bad lluck and misfortunes.

Thanks for posting that TRP Coltrane. I love it...can't wait to see it on the track and in Victory Lane. Thanks!

Well I don't know for sure...but I am willing to guess that Tony Stewart won the most races in 2011 with five. Ironically, all in the chase. I'll have to look it up to be sure. Well I thought with the off season sadly upon us and 80 more days until Daytona 500, we should start this up again. Or try to... So here's the next question... The 2012 will have some sort of a mile marker for Jeff Gordon. It will mark that Jeff Gordon has been in the elite series (Sprint Cup...back then it was Winston Cup) for ________ years. (How many?)

Well I dont know how good my advice will be. I never was in band or anything of the like. Sounds like the band would benefit from having you in it, but at the same time, it something that YOU want to do? Would enjoy doing? Or would it be soemthing that you felt like you should or that you had to and would dread it? I think the bottom line is what YOU want to do. Not your friends or what would work best for the band, but what would work best for you. Because if you won't have fun with it or enjoy it, it won't be worth it. I guess what I am saying is, is that you need to ask yourself what you want. Not your school or your friends, but what YOU want to do. And then go with that. Wishing you the best of luck with your choice here. Hope that helps you some...

LOL...thought it may shock you. As for David...guess I should tell you now in case it does turn into something. Jack Roush (his car owner) says that more than likely David Ragen will NOT be driving for him next year. Said he was disappointed in David Ragen and how he drove or something like that. I didn't read the whole article. Am not a big fan of Rousch...even though I do like Carl Edwards...who also drives for Rousch. David is a talented kid and I am sure he will find another ride if Rousch does follow through with his line of thought. Ragen may not be like Edwards, Kenseth as of yet, but I feel like Rousch isn't giving him the time to mature. I mean, Ragen even got his first win this year... Though Roger...who knows, perhaps David will take up Kurt Busch's old ride...guess as of now, time will tell. 82 days until Daytona 500...not that I am counting or anything.

Kurt Busch possibly fired... Well it is looking like Kurt Busch has been fired from Penske Racing...though as of now it is not official and no one there has came forth with it. But has said it comes from someone close to the organization. It comes from the race at Homestead where Kurt had transmission issue. He gave someone the bird...and then cussed out Dr. Jerry Punch (one of the reporters) in the garage...it got caught on a fan's camera who put it on Youtube. NASCAR had fined Kurt fifty thousand dollars and put him on probation through Dec. 31. And now it looks like it has now gotten him fired from his job. Which will definately shake things up for the 2012 season since there isn't any real big car openings for next year. At least not like he has now nor is there any big names that is open to take his job at Penske. I'm assuming that Penske is tired of Kurt cussing people out or his anger. This isn't the first time this year that he gotten recognized for cussing someone out when upset. Though did read at another site that Kurt is now seeing a sports psychologist in order to control his anger...and to be a better person. Though for his job, looks like it may be too late. As I said, the article said no one has made it official as of yet, but it comes from a close source. As Waylon would say...y'all may want to sit down, things may be about to get interesting. Don't know if he ever said anything like that but can hear him saying that on the Dukes. (Sorry Roger...know you were a fan of Kurt's...perhaps you can drop him now and go for Gordon. I can always hope! )

Y'all can be happy about your Cheif's win...they deserved it and played well. See they broke their losing streak as well...very good. As for me, my all time favorite football team in the NFL is and always will be the Chicago Bears. They loss two in a row now but am hoping they will come back with a win against the Broncos next week. Despite losing their QB Jay Cutler two weeks ago and their best RB Matt Forte today. GO BEARS GO!!!!!!! As for college...I'm all for the Iowa Hawkeyes!!!!!! GO HAWKS!!!!!! (Have to go for your home team, right? )

Can't say I am too happy that your Cheifs won today since they were playing my BEARS...dang they need Jay Cutler back.. Anyway, hope you get feeling better soon. I didn't watch it either. Did watch Gordon's and Johnson's speech online as well as the newly wed show the chase drivers played Friday...watched it online. It was hilarious and it was great to see the drivers dress in normal clothing and be relaxed...be themselves. Am so looking forward to Daytona 500...finally did the math. Officially we have 83 days left til the next official race. Even longer than I had thought. Just keeps getting worse...

Dang I'd hate to compare myself to you...thought I was pretty good, but I'm not so sure no more. I never dreamt to be an actor, my room is not orange (though I'd love it to be orange though!) and I don't bike ride not alone to have bikes of the Duke cars. And I am way too chicken to do any kind of stunt... But I do think I am fairly big fan of the Dukes... I've been to four Dukefests...go every living Duke's autograph except for Tom Wopat (or the actors of Coy and Vance...) got a hug from Cooter twice and one from John Schneider. Been to both of Cooter's museums... I own all seven seasons on DVD plus most if not all on VHS (some twice...) have several General Lee cars. Though sadly, I haven't watched a Duke episode in nearly a year due to the lack of time. Though still consider it my FAVORITE TV show. And I am a HUGE NASCAR/Jeff Gordon fan thanks to the General Lee and Bo and Luke Duke. Though that probably is NOT all that makes one a fan or measure how big of a fan one is. It is what is within and I think if you go by that...there is a lot of loyal Duke fans here on this awesome site that has a great deal of obsession over the BEST TV show on earth! So I guess if I had to measure my obsession from 1-10, I'd put it at perhaps a 8 or 9.

Sissy - Is he ornery too? LOL. Very cute. Rosco will eat anything and everything if given the chance to. Especially socks! He tears up any toy he can...and poor Lilly who is so nice to her toys and everything!

Thank-you! I think he has lived up to his name pretty well ... do feel like he has gotten better (thank goodness! LOL) but still has the ornery streak in him.

Here is a picture of my 13 or 14 year old cat...my very own Daisy Mae Duke! And the puppy being my very own Rosco P. Coltrane...well not so much of a puppy any more. He is now almost eleven months old. (He's just as ornery as ol' Rosco was...KHEE!)

Love this song...very relaxing. Then again, I love all of Kenny Chesney's songs...just awesome.

A football fan too? Well we will see who will walk away from the game a winner...HA HA. Best of luck to your Cheifs...though I'll be going for the Bears all the way. Though your Cheifs as Stanzi who played for Iowa last year so can't be too bad. Probably won't watch the awards, but will watch the driver's speeches online at NASCAR.com if they have them there as they did last year. Jeff Gordon's dance move Had to post this awesome video...loved every second of it. Don't know how Jeff Gordon got talked into doing that, but was glad to catch it online tonight. It was good hearing other driver's comments as well...Jimmie Johnson " Do I still have a job after this?" LOL. Another reason why I love NASCAR...more than just the cars and the racing, it's the driver's as well and their personalities. Just awesome!

Well y'all may want to sit down for this NASCAR news...it's going to surprise the socks off of ya. Dale Earnhardt Jr won the most popular driver award last night...for the nineth year in a row. Y'all surprised? I wasn't but have to say he deserves it...even if it isn't Jeff Gordon. Congrats to Dale Jr... Also NASCAR news...the NASCAR awards banquet is being held tonight in Las Vegas at 9:00 PM ET on SPEED. It will consist of the top ten drivers in points in the Sprint Cup Series... Don't know about y'all...but am ready for Daytona 500 to be here. Why oh why does there have to be an off season? LOL. Well until then, I guess I'll be going for the ol' blue and orange and be yelling GO BEARS instead of GO JEFF GORDON! LOL. Love my football, but still not NASCAR or baseball...

Awesome artwork, Hoss. Loved the cat. You can't get much better than cats and the Dukes combined like that.

See you beat me to some of my stories I was planning on posting here. Guess I miss a lot by going on vacation. good work though... Though I also read that Kurt Busch got fined fifty thousand dollars for his actions during the Homestead race. He had transmission problems early on and I guess he gave one of the announcers the bird and then cussed him out. He got caught on a fans video cussing him out and was put on youtube and NASCAR fined him for it. He shoulda learned from his brother when he flipped the official off last year at the fall texas race and gotne parked for three laps and fined 25 thousand dollars and put on probation for the rest of that year... Don't know how big of news that is since that is just a slap on the wrist for Kurt with is payroll...just think (my opionion being...) that NASCAR is done putting up with him yelling and cussing people out once he gets upset. 83 more days til Daytona...

Dang I leave for the weekend and look what I miss! Hoss' birthday! I hope you had a great one Hoss and that you enjoyed your race today...hope you had a special day for your birthday!

Darkness

Yes...Congrats TRPColtrane...am sure you are one happy camper right now. This year may be your driver's turn at the championship, but next year that big ol' trophy and that big ol' check (5.6 million dollars) is going home with Jeff Gordon and team 24. Thanks Roger for the encouragement. I have ALOT to learn about Hockey, but am always glad to see a Chicago team in the number one spot...well except for maybe the White Sox. They are too much of a rival of the Cubs to get too happy for them. I may like NASCAR and baseball a bit better than football, but trust me, Roger, I am really excited about the Bears recent run of wins. Their team is finally getting up to par and back to shape as it was last year. . .and am looking forward to seeing them back in the Super Bowl this year. I am finally beginning to understand football and now that NASCAR is sadly over, I will be watching more Bears games and be more excited about Bears football. I need something to fill that empty void of three months between races. And football fits in perfectly into that void. Dang three months though? That is a looooonnnnnggggg time of not watching Jeff Gordon in that 24 car go for the win...don't know if I'll be able to survive it...the Bears better keep the wins comin'!

Well the race has just gotten over and I am sure NASCAR is eccstatic on how it came down to this... After several rain delays and after passing a lot of drivers...Tony Stewart has won his fifth race of the season/chase and to win his third championship. Congrats to Tony and team 14 on a great race and all of Stewart's fans. Am sure you all are on cloud nine right now... Carl Edwards led the most laps and came home second...points are tied, but since Carl has only one win this year and Stewart as five, the championship goes home with Stewart. Carl raced a good race...a good season. He did everything right...very consistant.He has such great sportsmanship, was able to smile through his interview once he got out of his car...and then went over and congratulated Tony. Here is the top ten positions of the race at Homestead: 1. Tony Stewart 2. Carl Edwards 3. Martin Truex Jr 4. Matt Kenseth 5. Jeff Gordon 6. Clint Bowyer 7. Kasey Kahne 8. Kevin Harvick 9. Denny Hamlin 10. Jeff Burton Here is the top twelve finishing in points: 1. Tony Stewart 2. Carl Edwards 3. Kevin Harvick 4. Matt Kenseth 5. Brad Keselowski 6. Jimmie Johnson 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr 8. Jeff Gordon 9. Denny Hamlin 10. Ryan Newman 11. Kurt Busch 12. Kyle Busch 13. Clint Bowyer (whoever gets thirteenth wins a million dollars) All the points are unofficial, but that is from NASCAR.com... And my NASCAR withdrawl begins...

They are back racing...Gordon even led a lot of laps before being passed by Tony Stewart. Carl Edwards is third, behind Gordon. Tony is now first in points by one point... Holding my breath for Carl to get this thing...(Carl just passed Gordon for second.

Well we are on lap 109 and we are red flag for rain. URGH...though I think it has stopped and they are now drying the track. My NASCAR withdrawl has seemed to have kicked off early at the thought of this being the LAST race of the season... Anyway, so far the races has been a good one for the most part. Tony had a lot of rough luck at the start of the race when he got a hole in his car after Kurt's transmission going out. Though he didn't know how he got the hole. Though he restarted all the way back in the line up, he has now passed a lot of cars and is in the top ten. Carl Edwards had start the race up front and is still leading the race...with JEFF GORDON right behind him. Gordon has had a strong and fast car today. Johnson has had some engine problems and Jr has felt a vibration. Both are still in the race. Marcos Ambrose and David Ragen are out due to their engine blowing...both having Rousch engines what Edwards is driving. Though they are now saying that Edwards is racing with a different engine...am hoping not have engine problems...am holding my breath.