Garrett Duke

LOL Roger - I love that part. It always makes me laugh...even if the show has me torn by that part. I am surprised I can remember Carl's name as well. But I use to watch those two episodes a lot when I watched them almost every day, it was one of my favorites. As I said, I just hate seeing the boys fighting like that. But the end kinda makes it worth it. Same with "Good - Bye General Lee" and the ep you listed above. It just seems wrong to see them fighting and mad at each other like that. I like your quote...I remember Jesse saying that!

Where I need to be - Gary Allen

Resident expert thanks Roger! And yeah, I've had a few words here and there this week over what all had happened. I feel bad for Bowyer, he is a good driver and a good guy, but by now he should know the rules and play by them. If you have to cheat in order to get the win, then it isn't winning in my mind. Not saying I think he did it on purpose, but still not playing by the rules. When Johnson got fined for his car weighing too much or something like that (it was when the new car first came out) his crew cheif, Chad Knaus, made a statement that the crew cheif is paid to push the limits with the car in order to get away with as much as possible. Something like that. Well Bowyer obviously went over the limits in NASCAR's mind. And to be fair to Bowyer, he may not have known about it. Perhaps it was his crew chief did it in order to push Bowyer for the win. Which he did get after 88 races in between his last win. But if you ask me, they should have taken the win away from him and gave it to the second place guy. As I said, to cheat to win, shouldn't qualify as a win in my book. I'm not saying what he did helped him win, but it makes me wonder if it did help him finish the race without running out of gas. After all, Bowyer and Stewart both pitted at the same time and Stewart ran out of gas two laps before the drop of the checkered flag, where as Bowyer ran out of gas doing his victory burn out. I didn't see the race on TV, so I don't know how Bowyer saved gas where as Tony didn't, heard someone online say Bowyer was fighting pretty hard with the third place guy and if that is so, that would have cost him some gas as well so he wasn't saving gas by doing that. As I said, I don't know if that helped him save or get more gas or not, just saying it makes me wonder. . . But as far as the punishment goes...OUCH! Six weeks without the crewcheif he's had all year or his car cheif. Meaning he has to find two other guys he likes and trusts to fill their spots. Not only that...what hurts the most is 150 championship points. He has absolutely no chance of winning the championship now. Unless he has nine stellar races and the other eleven drivers in the chase has lousy race...which I really don't see happening. Never seen NASCAR punish a driver with that many points, so it also makes me wonder, how big of an infraction it was. Or if this is NASCAR's way of setting an example. Either way you look at it, I am sure Bowyer felt like he got the wind knocked out of him when he heard that. I heard Larry McReynolds from FOX's NASCAR coverage say that the drivers can get a maximum of 161 points by leading the most laps and winning the race and perhaps where they start (Dont' know about that.) So, in my opinion, if NASCAR is going to fine him 150 points, they should have just taken the points he got from winning the race away from as well as the W in the win colomn. Give it to the guy who came in second (of course they'd have to search his car as well) who earned the win honestly. Sorry for my rambling long answer...hope y'all aren't asleep with boredom here. Thanks Roger for giving me the opportunity to voice my opinion on the topic. It is a big deal in NASCAR and amongst the fans I would think. As I said, I don't remember NASCAR fining anyone this big, especially come chase time when it all counts. I almost think they should kick him out of the chase if Ryan Newman in thirteenth has more points than he does now that he's been fined. Though with the chase set, doubt they would do that.

It does make it a little easier to have friends online to talk NASCAR about...especially during the long three months that they are out of season! Talk about the longest three months of the year! Thanks for the advice, Roger...I'll try to find something other than the keyboard to cry on. Perhaps on the TV once they cross the finish line at Homestead in November.

Guards

Well I just read some shocking news...well I guess it wasn't too shocking since I kinda read about it yesterday, but wasn't expecting it to turn out like this. Yesterday I read that NASCAR officials pulled Clint Bowyer and his car owner in and told them that they were close to being outside the limits for their rear end. Clint Bowyer won the N.H. race last Sunday to move him from twelveth in points to second. (NASCAR takes the winning car plus one random car back to N. Carolina after every race to take the car apart and examine them more thoroughly.) Well yesterday, didn't think that was that big of a deal. No secret that each team presses everything to it's limits to make the car as best as possible... Well read in Yahoo an hour ago that NASCAR was pulling Clint and his team in to discuss what NASCAR decided to do. Which confused me since if it was close to pressing the limits in the back bumper, but if it is close, then why penalize them or do anything about it as long as it is within limits? Well, it looks like NASCAR has decided that Bowyer did break regulations in the rear of the car! (NASCAR.com says that the car equipment did not meet NASCAR rules. Bowyer's crew cheif Shane Wilson has been fined $150,000 and suspended for six weeks, suspended from NASCAR until November 3. His car chief has been suspended for six weeks from the cup series, and suspended from NASCAR until November 3. (They both will be on probation until the end of the year - Dec. 31) If that wasn't bad enough. . .Clint Bowyer and car owner Richard Childress has been fined 150 championship points!!!!!!!! Micheal McDowell, number 46, was penalyzed as well for his engine's exhaust vaulves did not meet mininum weight requirement. Though he wasn't docked as heavy as Bowyer. His car cheif was docked fifty thousand dollars and suspended until Nov. 3, on probation until Dec. 31. He was docked 50 points. As was his car owner. Micheal McDowell is a part time driver who I really don't know other than his name. Hard way to be starting out a career. Well I guess this goes to show just how sensitive NASCAR is to the COT (car of tomorrow...guess now it is the car of today). I remember the first year they drove this car, Gordon, Johnson, and Jr were all caught outside some limit and were fined fifty points (I think) as well fined and perhaps their crew cheifs as well. I can't remember exactly what they got, but it wasn't as much as Bowyer's I don't think. I guess it is fitting that they higher the penalty now that they have been driving the car for a couple of years now. I like Clint Bowyer, he seems like a good guy and is a good driver. Usually things like this, I believe, comes from the crew cheif and the pit crew trying to give the driver the best cars. Though if they fail inspection, I guess they have to pay the consequences. Odd how the car can pass inspection before and after the race and not the final inspection in N.C. Bowyer will still be listed as the winner of Sunday's race...though if you ask me, if they are caught cheating like that, then that should be taken away and given to the second place driver. Oh well they didn't ask me and good thing for Clint they didn't. As I said, I like Clint and do feel bad for him and his crew after having such a high day on Sunday to be deflated by this. What hurts the most is the points...150 championship points...NASCAR.com hasn't reset the points yet, but he will be twelveth, I'm thinking. Don't know if Ryan Newman would have more points than him, since they are running on two different point systems. But since the chase format has already been set, don't see NASCAR dropping him out of the chase. Sadly it looks like he has went from twelve to second and probably second back to twelve. Well, his dreams of winning the championship this year has just been flusehd down the drain. . .

Telephone

Raining

I haven't seen that ep in a long time, Roger, but I can hear Jesse saying it when I read it in your post. It was a great quote...very true. I do like Carnival Thrills...seen it enough times to know it by heart probably, but have a hard time watching it now. I really dislike seeing the boys fighting and being that mad at each other. Though it has an awesome ending to it. Quick question...how was Carl related to Diane? I've been thinking over that question for the past couple of weeks. (I know, any logical Duke fan would put it in and watch it to get the answer to it, but I haven't found the time. I need an extra hour in the day just to watch the Dukes!)

I go Back - Kenny Chesney

*Bo only shrugs at his uncle as he begins to wonder away from his uncle at a somewhat safe distance. Through all of his life, he has never seen his uncle like this or seem this excited about something that could be the death of them. Glancing back at Jesse, Bo once again finds it odd how before Luke had left, he had seen Jesse and Luke in about the same light. He looked up to them both and in his eyes, they could do no wrong. They were both wise, smart, and intuitive in Bo's eyes. Everything that he seems not to be. But now being alone with Jesse, shows just how different Jesse is from Luke. Not that it was all bad, just different than what Bo had been expecting when all of this began to unravel. Now leaving him to quietly question what his role was in this so called adventure of Jesse's. Jesse knew the swamp better than Bo did, knew what they were up against more than Bo did. What would Luke do if he were me? the question repeats itself in his tired mind, only to come up blank. Finding his way slowly back to Jesse, Bo silently nods. "If that's how it is," he shrugs, "let's go and get this little adventure of your's started." Being a man use to action, to doing something, the more he waits and plans, the more nervous and anxious Bo finds himself getting.*

Going through the Big D - Mark Chesnutt

sauce

LOL Roger...that may be it!

Daisy

*Bo raises a questioning look at Jesse before tightly securing the boat as he was told to do while thinking of what Jesse had just said. Standing up, Bo questions, "If you don't mind me asking, Uncle Jesse, " Bo joins his uncle, "but if the gators are too scared to come to these here parts of the swamp, then what we doing here ourselves?" Bo slowly glances around the dark swamp. He didn't feel comfortable in the swamp when it was light, now his own worry and un ease over their situation worsens with Jesse's explanation of the beast they are looking for and with the intense darkness that surrounds him. Bo has always been one more trusting of any situation in the light over the dark. "Another question," he forces himself to look back at Jesse, once again masking his own worries and fears, "what you plan on doing once we find this beast of your's?"*

Race one of the chase is now over and it has left the points jumbled compared to how they had started before the race on Sunday. For example: Clint Bowyer who won the race, came from twelveth in the top twelve to second in points. Now it is the time to see just how big one race can affect their points in the standings; whether the drivers have a bad day or a good day. Here is the top fifteen in points...keep in mind, the drivers rated thirteenth or lower has no chance of getting into the top twelve in standings. The highest they can achieve is thirteenth. . . 1. Denny Hamlin 2. Clint Bowyer (-35) 3. Kevin Harvick 4. Kyle Busch 5. Jeff Gordon 6. Kurt Busch 7. Jimmie Johnson 8. Carl Edwards 9. Greg Biffle 10. Jeff Burton 11. Tony Stewart 12. Matt Kenseth ************** 13. Ryan Newman 14. Jamie McMurray (-1) 15. David Reutimann

Welcome back, Redneck Woman! I figured you'd find the NASCAR thread once you returned! Am glad to see you back! Thanks for reminding of the sad and depressing thought that there is only nine races left of the season! LOL. Can't believe it's chase time already. Roger - Was Niagra Falls worth missing the race for? Hope you had a great time!

Well I have to honestly say that I did NOT watch the race today, but I had listened to it on the radio. I didn't and don't feel well today so instead of staying at my parents' house to watch the race on cable, I went home to take a nap. Missed the first seventy laps, but it didn't sound like I missed things. Though I am more of a visaul person, so I feel I missed a lot today by just listening to it on the radio (especially since it took them forever to list where each driver was at through out the race. With TV you can just look up on the top of the screen to see where the drivers are located.) Jimmie Johnson had a rotten race when he got caught up in Kurt Busch's accident. He finished 25th (I think) and te first car a lap down. Hamlin and Edwards spun each other out it sounds like, but Hamlin got a decent finish out of it by finishing second behind Clint Bowyer who led the most laps today. There was a few drivers who gambled without stopping for gas with seventy laps to go...including Bowyer and Stewart. Stewart led a lot of laps towards the end and had claimed he had enough gas to make it towards the end where Bowyer said he didn't think he could make it. Sadly for Stewart, he led several laps as I said, only to run out of gas as soon as the white flag flew. He finished the last car on the lead lap...Burton ran out of gas at the end. Bowyer held on to win the race, only to run out of gas doing his victory burn out. 1. Clint Bowyer 2. Denny Hamlin 3. Jamie McMurray 4. Dale Earnhardt Jr (who started 32nd today! Way to go Jr!) 5. Kevin Harick 6. Jeff Gordon 7. David Reutimann 8. Ryan Newman 9. Kyle Busch 10. Sam Hornish Jr If anyone else has more info about what happened in the race, feel free to comment on them here. As I said, I listened to most of it and got the general feel of what was going on, but I am way more a visual person than an audio person when it comes to sports. They have the unofficial points up, but I will post that tomorrow or later on this week when they are more official and I feel more up to it. Hope y'all have a great week!

Bye Bye - Jo Dee Massina