Garrett Duke

Yeah, I hope he don't get in trouble for it either. Just found it cool. I am a huge DOH and NASCAR fan so I love it when the worlds collide like that. I don't have cable either due to money issues so if the races are on cable, I have to watch it at my parents' house. Frustrated last week...was home expecting it to be on FOX and it was on FOX Sports 1, so I missed it. Really wish all races would be on FOX. But that is just me. As for NASCAR and Brian France there is a lot that they do that upset me...like fining Tony Stewart for speaking the truth a couple of weeks ago. But they will do what they do I guess. As for Kyle Busch...NASCAR owed him a chance to earn his way into the Chase. Yeah he should work for it and he got the wins and the points to make it into the Chase. But the only reason Kyle Busch missed those races was because they didn't have the walls at Daytona safe enough. NASCAR by now should have every wall of every track with safety barrier on them...no reason not to. Especially after that hard hit Jeff Gordon took at Las Vegas several years ago that got that track's walls to be surrounded by safety barrier...every track should have changed right then to have the highest protection as possible. I am glad to see NASCAR give Tony a chance to make the Chase as well...hope can make it. Well that is my two cents worth, for how little it is worth.

Sadly due to life's circumstances, I have missed most of the races this year. I have been reading up on them...but did watch Talladega and was disappointed with the accidents. I know Talladega is known as the big one and for the accidents, but it got ridiculous. I felt like a lot of them could have been avoided if the drivers used common sense...such as Kurt Busch wrecking Jimmie Johnson. Just lucky no one got hurt. Anyway...I found this on Facebook and thought of y'all. I know James Best helped Ryan Newman with his animal charities as well as lived down the road from James. And now looks like he owns a General Lee. What a lucky girl to be picked up in The General Lee...;) http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/ryan-newman-richard-childress-racing-dukes-of-hazzard-general-lee-performs-dad-duty-051116

Hoss- I don't know if that would work in NASCAR...but if that was in NASCAR, the driver and team would be punished for having too many people over pit wall. Can't recall how many members can be in the pit area...think it is seven, but that seems high. Know there is a number set of how many can be on the pit wall. That is one fast stop!

Believe it or not, I am still here. Just been quiet and busy. Life is busy. In fact, I haven't watched a whole race since Daytona this year. Sad, I know. I did watch part of Bristol last week...Bristol is my favorite track/race. Sadly I missed the last half of the race though. LOL. I do have some great news though...Tony Stewart will be returning to the number 14 car this Sunday. Stewart suffered a back injury before the season started and has been sitting out. Thursday he came forward saying he has been cleared by his doctors and NASCAR to drive this weekend. YAY. This is Tony's final season and will be retiring after this season. NASCAR will not be the same without him. NASCAR has also said that they will give Stewart a pass to allow Stewart into the Chase this season IF he can be in the top 30 in points and/or gets a win or two. NASCAR did the same for Kyle Busch last season after Kyle broke his leg and foot at the Xfinity Series Daytona race . . .Kyle made the Chase and won the NASCAR Sprint Cup title. So Smoke (Tony Stewart) still has hope... Though just as I was congratulating NASCAR on their right choice of giving Stewart the pass...they came back and fined Stewart $35,000 for some violation over what he had said earlier this week or last week. Stewart had criticized NASCAR's lug nut policy. Up until the beginning of last season, all cars had to have ALL lug nuts tight or else NASCAR would give them a drive through penalty. Well the beginning of last season NASCAR took the policy away allowing the crews/drivers to decide if they want to tighten all lug nuts or save time on pit road and leave some lose. Stewart said how dangerous that NASCAR is giving the teams the choice on leaving lug nuts lose...and he is absolutely RIGHT! Those lug nuts are what are keeping those tires on. As Stewart said, there will always be teams willing to push the envelope when it comes to see how they can save time on pit road and to get back out on track faster. Someone can get seriously hurt or worse if a tire falls off during the race or even if they are coming onto pit road and it falls off. NASCAR penalizing Tony for speaking his opinion...which is absolutely right...is beyond ridiculous and frustrating. Teams will be penalized if they lose control of the tires when they take them off on pit road, and yet they are allowed to test fate by not tightening the lug nuts? Just don't make sense to me that it is an option to leave them lose...thought that last year when they changed the rule. Welcome back Tony...here is your $35,000 fine for speaking the truth...:( Though of what I saw on Facebook, other drivers are chipping in to help Tony pay his fine. Which never should have been given to him to begin with. I am beyond done with NASCAR's punishment policy where they will fine a driver like Stewart for something petty and yet will allow others go by with a lot worse without saying anything. It has been like this for a long time...they really need to stop looking at who the driver is when they hand out the fine, and look at the deed and punish despite who the driver is. Don't get me wrong...I will always love NASCAR despite all this, just makes me mad and frustrated.

LOL Hoss...you are probably right. But his nickname is Superman. And this weekend he will be driving his Superman car...while Jr will be driving Batman.

Another reason to love Chase. He has done great so far and am looking forward to seeing how far he will go this season. Still have a hard time accepting him in the 24 car, but other than that, that he is great. But I am sticking with Jimmie Johnson...the man of steel.

Well I am glad you are finally going for the 24 car...guess it is better late than never. Chase is a great and talented driver...he has a lot to prove. I like Chase...though will admit that I do have a hard time accepting him as the #24. 24 will always be Jeff Gordon for me. Double that 24 number you will get the number of the driver of my favorite current driver. Will definitely follow Chase and see how he does and maybe in the future he will be my favorite driver once my current favorite driver retires...which will be never. LOL. Glad to hear you have found a driver to follow and one that will bring home the checkered flag in the near future.

I know, I know...I have to enjoy it while it lasts.

My boys finish 1-2 today. Johnson finished first...ties his wins with Dale Sr. at 76 and Dale Jr finishes second. So good to hear Jr sound soooo happy after the race. Chase Elliot finished 8th in the 24 car. Great race today...sadly for my fantasy team, I went with Kevin Harvick who led the most laps, but finished sixth. Shoulda went with my boy Johnson. LOL.

And who is in first place? ? ?

Beat me? Oh hog wash. I felt sorry for you last year...now with all this smack talk, I don't feel to bad. I am about to show you all who's boss...ME. LOL. Me and my buddy, Jimmie Johnson, is going to dominate this year!

Sounds like a great idea...sorry I didn't think of that when I created this one.

Thanks Roger for putting this out there...anyone is welcomed to join. It is fun, free, and it is easy to play. Let me know and I'll help you get signed up. It is already very tough on me. I get anxious for Daytona...and then it hits me. Oh yeah, Gordon's going to be in the booth. Not the 24 car. Hard for me to accept that someone else is driving the 24 car...that will always be Gordon's car to me. Don't get me wrong, I am still excited for Daytona. Jimmie Johnson will be my guy to follow now that Gordon isn't out there. Just won't be the same. Please join Roger and I in a little fun NASCAR fantasy league...you don't even have to know a lot about NASCAR to play it. . . I have some sad NASCAR news though...Tony Stewart was in a bad non racing accident last Sunday. By what I read he was at a friend's house where they were driving the guys' sand buggies. At first, people said Tony flipped it. But now it sounds like he got separated from the pack and lost control of it. It must have went air borne and he landed hard on the sand. Sounds like he laid there for ninety minutes before the guy, Jeff Gordon, and Ray Everanham found him, helped him onto a helicopter and flew him to the hospital with a serious back injury. They later flew him to North Carolina's hospital where he had back surgery. Sounds like he broke his lower vertebrae or something like that. They say he will make a full recovery and should be able to return to racing later this season...but in the meantime he will have to find another driver to replace him for Daytona and until he is healed. Sad way to end his stellar career. Stewart said at the end of last season, that this would be his last season in NASCAR. Sorry to put the news here, but I didn't want to take away from my fantasy league. . .

I am highly sad that Christmas is here and over already...New Year's tomorrow. And back to work on Monday. Yuck. I like my job...just not ready to get up to the stupid alarm at three fifteen in the morning again. Oh well. Don't worry about me...I'll be fine in seven more weeks when NASCAR starts back up again. Seven long weeks...

OK...so I cheated. How many Jack songs can there be? Can't think of any Diane songs either...so I will go with and. "You and Tequila" Kenny Chesney https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8XkLrErSHw (btw...I copied and pasted this into the reply box and it still didn't show the picture. You may just be stuck with a link...)

So I couldn't figure out how to post a video on this newer version...so you'll have to handle a link. "Jack Daniels" Eric Church I will warn y'all that he does say the "A" word a few times in the song and for that I apologize. This is the only song I could think of with any of the words on the previous songs and well...I was determined to think of something. I dislike that he uses that word, but do love Eric Church's music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQm4loeXc20

Congrats Roger...thought you would be happy about that. I would have done better, but I seemed to curse the drivers I picked and they end up wrecking out or having some sort of problems throughout the race. I am sure they all cringed every time I picked them to do good. Congrats Roger...you deserved it. Well the 2015 season has ended this past weekend and I for one am an emotional wreck about it. One: it was Jeff Gordon's very last race of his career. He is now retired. Though he will be in the Fox booth next season with Darrell Waltrip. And two: I hate NASCAR's off season...LOL. Long season short...after missing eleven races due to a horrendous accident in the Xfinity Series race at Daytona last February, Kyle Busch over come all that when NASCAR gave him a waiver to get into the Chase...as long as he was in the top thirty in points and a win. He strung along several wins to make it into the Chase...and he held on despite several shaky races by the 18 team...to win the championship. KYLE BUSCH IS THE 2015 NASCAR SPRINT CUP CHAMPION!! I know he is getting criticized for not being a true champion due to the eleven missed races, but if you asked me, NASCAR owed Kyle that waiver they gave him. After all, if that track had a safety barrier around the whole track, he probably wouldn't have missed those races. Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, and Martin Truex Jr. are the top four driver in points. I guess it goes without saying that I was really pulling and hoping for Gordon to win his fifth championship...to be celebrating with him - well from my space in this world...LOL. But third place is still something to be proud about. He had the best average finish in the Chase of all the Chase drivers...he had a great Chase with his one and last win coming at Martinsville. So hard to believe that Jeff Gordon is done. Finished. That there is now a new driver that will be driving the 24 car...Chase Elliot. Don't get me wrong, I do like Chase. I have followed him before his Xfinity Series start last year...after all he was tagged to be Gordon's replacement. But I am not ready to watch Gordon leave. Then again, I'll never be ready to see my hero walk away from the sport he helped me to love and follow the past thirteen years or so. Especially not ready to see someone else take over the 24 car...even if it was Gordon's idea for Elliot to take the 24 after him. Yeah, it is great to see the 24 continue it's legacy, but it is hard for me to see it being taken over by anyone. Just so you all know...I will always love Jeff Gordon. Look up to him. Respect him. Jeff Gordon helped change NASCAR, help NASCAR grow. Helped shape NASCAR. He has had a great career, one to be proud of. Not only does he have a great career to be proud about, but most importantly he is a great person and has done so much to help with children cancer. He even has his own children's hospital. He does a lot to help those children and give them some hope they all deserve. I am sure he will continue to do so and maybe more so now that he is retired. Last week I was an nervous wreck about this last race...thinking of all that could go wrong for his last race. I wanted it to be perfect for him. Well...I missed the race...but it sounds like it was less than perfect as he had a tire go down. He went in for a vibration and they worked on what they thought was wrong...only to find out it was a tire. So they got that fixed. So perhaps he didn't get the win I was hoping for and didn't win the championship, but he came home sixth on his last week, third for the overall season. Now I am sad to see him go, to say his career is over, but happy for him. He deserves to walk away when he is ready, and he is ready. I am just glad and thankful that he will be in the booth next year...even more so that it is with FOX and Darrell Waltrip. I love it when the races are on FOX and I love DW...so I will still get to see Jeff Gordon. Or more likely than not, to hear him. I think the number one question that I have been asked since he announced his retirement is, who will you follow next year? And the answer is an easy one...JIMMIE JOHNSON. Jimmie has been my second favorite driver for a long while now...because of Jeff Gordon. Jeff Gordon spotted his talent. Talked Hendrick into hiring Jimmie to race for him...which in turn, Rick Hendrick told Gordon to put his money where his mouth is. . .so Jeff Gordon is car owner of Jimmie Johnson. I see a lot of similarities between the two. If I didn't have Jimmie Johnson to turn to to follow next season, I don't know if I could get excited about NASCAR. Or as excited as I am. Especially after how frustrating this Chase is for me or NASCAR punishment policy. (I agree with what Kyle Busch said a couple of weeks ago...it all depends on the name above the driver's door on whether or not they will cast out punishment. Been like that for some time now and it is beyond frustrating for me.) With all that said, I will keep an eye on Chase Elliot and hope he will do great in the Sprint Cup Series as well.

Well y'all, remember me? LOL. Last I tried signing in, I either got the wrong password or it didn't let me in...and well just gave up after that. Life is busy. I do still watch the races, but unlike last year, normally just have my tablet instead of my computer out to write the write ups. I apologize for disappearing on you. But you seemed to do great with out me, so I guess it doesn't matter much. For better newsworthy news...Tony Stewart made it official yesterday. He is retiring after next year and Clint Bowyer will be taking his seat in the 14 car. After all Tony has gone through in the past few years, it is kind of expected. Though still sad. We are at Dover this weekend...it will be Jimmie Johnson's 500th NASCAR race. And they will start eliminating drivers after the race from the Chase...four to be exact. So hard to believe we are at this point of the season. We are in the Chase and have eight races (counting Dover) til we find out who will be the 2015 Champion. More depressing, it also marks eight more races left to Jeff Gordon's career. I am appreciative of having the chance to watch him race...even if just on TV...and to be a big fan of his. But hate the fact that he is getting ready to walk away from the 24 car...but am also glad that he will be on FOX next season. NASCAR will not be the same with out him. For the sport. Or for me, the fan. I have heard a lot of Gordon fans say that when he is done, they are done with NASCAR. That probably would have been me several years ago when Gordon was my main driver. He is and always will be my all time favorite driver...but now I also follow the rest of the Hendrick drivers. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are my two main favorite drivers...I get asked all the time who I will root for when Gordon calls it quits. Well my answer is always...Jimmie Johnson. Well had to throw in my hello and to spread word about Tony Stewart...

Well this isn't NASCAR news worthy...but I apologize for not keeping up with my race reviews and so forth. Life has gotten busy and haven't had the time to really sit down and write any up...and have missed a couple of races here and there. Horrible...I know. Gordon's last year and I am failing him miserably...find it incredibly sad that this time next year, there will be a kid in his seat and not him. At least he will be up in the booth in FOX with Darrell Waltrip. Talking of the booth, tonight's race at Daytona will be the first race on NBC for the past few years. Will be interesting to see who will be in their booth and all that fancy stuff. (Just so you know...next year, my main driver will move over to my second favorite driver. Jimmie Johnson. I am interested in seeing how Chase Elliot will do in the Cup series, just wish it was in another car. 24 will always be Gordon for me.) Anyway Dale Earnhardt Jr got the pole due to the qualifying being rained out and they went by their finish in practice. So tonight is Gordon's last race at Daytona...really hope he will get a decent finish. For his last year, it hasn't been the best for him or his fans...so it is about time to turn that around. Jr will take the green flag 6:30 central time on NBC. Seeing how I have to wake up at four tomorrow morning, I really don't know how long I will stay up to watch it. According to my DVR, it has it ending at 9:30 central time...my time. Which is doable to be up at, but won't be putting me to bed any time early. LOL. So there it is...hope all has been great for you.

Well I am back as well...HNet wasn't accepting my password until now. Figured y'all got me kicked out. LOL. I will admit there was a time I that Kyle Busch kinda bugged me, but I have to admit I have slowly accepted the fact that now that he has matured in the past couple of years I do like him and have respect for him. I am super excited to hear of his return this weekend...though his wife is due any time now. So who knows if she has her baby this weekend if that would sideline him for one more race. It will be great to see him in the 18 car once more. Better yet, NASCAR has waivered him to be Chase eligible as long as he finishes in the top 30 in points with a win come Chase time. Normally the driver has to qualify their car and start the race in order to get points for the race and to be able to go into the Chase...and with Kyle missing two and a half months of races that would side line him come time for the Chase. But NASCAR is making an exception for him. Which they should. If they and Daytona International Speedway had put safety barriers on that wall, he wouldn't have gotten hurt as badly as he did. So super news for Kyle Busch and his fans.

Well if I didn't deserve to be fired a couple of weeks ago, I do now. Sadly, I only caught the last twenty or so laps of the Texas race last night. Just too bad NASCAR is so inconsiderate and doesn't follow my schedule. I mean, really? I am their biggest fan after all... So I guess I will let you know the of the few info that I do know... Kurt Busch started the race from the pole. Jeff Gordon had a car that he fought all day, but thanks to a late race caution where his cc Alan Gustafson gambled with a two tire change, gave him an eighth or seventh place finish Kasey Kahne finished seventh or eighth (he turned 35 on last Friday...). Kevin Harvick led a lot of laps...but not the lap that counted the most. He came in second...after bumping Dale Jr. out of the way. Which is very uncool of him if you ask me. I mean where he figures he can disrespect the sports' most popular driver that way? But to stick with the facts, Jr was second on the white flag flew, coming around the last curve, Harvick bumped Jr. So Harvick finished second, Jr. finished third. Jimmie Johnson who holds the most wins at Texas for active drivers led a lot of laps...and led the lap that mattered to win the race. All four of my Hendrick boys finished in the top ten. Carl Edwards got his first top ten of the season for his new team, team Gibbs. Sorry for my lack of a review. I was hoping to catch the race last night, but just didn't get home in time to do so. Other than to watch the last 27 laps or so. Though I did finally cave in and bought the special package to my NASCAR APP on my phone that lets me listen into the drivers' radio as well as watch from certain drivers screen points. I listened into Gordon's radio (imagine that, right?) for the last 35 laps or so last night. Thought that was pretty awesome. Though he sounded pretty discouraged on the radio...or maybe just tired. Didn't really say anything other than about the pit stop and congratulating Alan on a great call. We are at my all time favorite track next Sunday...BRISTOL baby!!!! Not only that, but Gordon's kids (Ella and Leo) will be the grand marshals for the race. I am so looking forward to it...and really hope to catch the race. . .and to do better with my reviews. I am not forgetting y'all...at all. I promise! Hope you all have a good week.

Thanks Lizzy for explaining that to me...I thought I knew everything about NASCAR. Guess I was wrong. LOL. Actually I know more about the drivers/crew and most of the supposed rules of NASCAR than I do the actual technical car stuff. Though I always find that interesting. Jeff Hammond use to do a segment in the pre race show on FOX explaining different car info and stuff...I really wish he would still do that. I always enjoyed the info he gave out. As for Ryan Newman and his crew...as I said, I really don't understand why they would attempt to do that right after NASCAR came out saying harsh penalties would come out of it if caught. I know it is the crew chief to walk the line and push the envelope on the rules of the car, but really? A couple of days after NASCAR gave the warning? Just don't make sense to me.

Well y'all I owe you all a huge apology...I did watch last weekends race, but had my niece and nephew over so I didn't have my lap top up (dogs, kids...too many chances of someone knocking it over and what not. Plus...busy, busy, busy.) Anyways, right after the race, we left to take the kids back into town to meet up with my sister. And this being Holy Week, have been busy at church and will continue to be so this week. Wish I was here to say I was going to write a race write up, but I should be in bed right now... So I will agree with Hoss...I was highly disappointed with Jeff Gordon's speeding penalty. He was struggling with his car all race long, hung out in tenth or so for most of the race. He finally got his car up to par and up in clean air and only to get caught speeding. At least he manned up to it and apologized. He didn't get the win I was hoping for, but man it was amazing to hear him go through the field as fast as he did. I think someone said he restarted like 35th or so and in a handful of laps or so, he finished ninth. Maybe he needs to race mad more often. OK . . .just joking. I don't want Gordon mad. If Gordon is mad, I am mad. Just how it goes. Danica Patrick finished seventh or eighth. So way to go Danica! It is great to see her have some success and hope for more down the road. I do like her, just feel like she was pulled up to the Sprint Cup Series too early and above others that was more talented. Jimmie Johnson had several issues throughout the race...finished like 31 laps down. Jr had shifter issues and got caught up in a wreck. It was neat to see Gordon and Kenseth work with each other. I didn't see it happened (I missed the first part of the race...my niece had the TV and wouldn't give it to me...LOL) but I guess Kenseth door slammed Gordon at some point in the race. At the end at one of the restarts, Kenseth was first and Gordon radioed into his spotter saying that it would be nice if Kenseth would repay him for door slamming him by giving him the inside lane (I think it was the inside lane that worked more). Gordon said he was mainly joking, but Kenseth did it. Before the radio conversation came through on the TV, I was wondering why he would give him that lane and so was the announcers. It was just great to see none team mates work together like that. (Gordon just wanted the lane and had said he would let Kenseth past him once the race restarted...which he did.) Gordon and Kenseth didn't always get along so it was great to see them getting along now. I know I am missing most of the race...but Denny Hamlin ended up winning the race and taking home the Martinsville Clock trophy. I apologize that I am missing most of the race and the final results...I really shouldn't even be on right now. Kyle Larson was not in the race (Regan Smith drove for him) as he passed out during his autograph session Saturday. He was released from the hospital last night and is waiting for test results. Still not cleared to race...but they have this weekend off so hopefully they will figure it out before the eleventh when they will be racing at Texas. Before the race, NASCAR said drivers were cheating or doing something with the tires (I thought I read something about drilling holes in them? But I am thinking that has to be wrong and I imagined that...can't imagine how drilling holes in the tires would help them out any) and had said they would punish drivers if caught. Well Ryan Newman has been caught tampering with his tires somehow...his crew chief has been suspended for several races, he has been docked like 75 driver points, and I am sure fines were handed out as well. I really don't understand why they would go out and tamper with the tires just after NASCAR warned them about it. Once again, I apologize for failing at my job here and for doing such a bad job now. If I had more time I would do a better job at it, but four tomorrow morning will be here bright and early. Like every morning. LOL. Thanks Hoss for trying to cover for me. I had to admit I had to go and re-read your beginning paragraph after seeing your final result. I was about to yell at you for giving Brad Keselowski another win this past weekend...but then realized you were talking about last week's race (March 22). No race this week, they are off for Easter. And then they will be racing Saturday night, April 11th at Texas. I will try to do a better job at my reviews...

I apologize for my lack of a review of last week's race...I was out and missed the race. I had thought I was going to be able to make it back in time, but as it turned out, I didn't even get to watch any of it. I can tell you Kevin Harvick won. But that is about it...oh and that Gordon finished nineth, Johnson eleventh...Jr 43rd after a wreck, and Kasey Kahne finished I think fourth. But that is about it. So I am sorry. If all should go as planned, am hoping to watch the race on Sunday. But with that said...I have some sad NASCAR news. Brian Vickers who was sidelined with blood clots in his leg in 2010 and missed the beginning of this season due to an emergency open heart surgery in December, is now out indefinitely as they have once again found blood clots in his leg. He is on blood thinners and he is not allowed to race while on blood thinners. Brett Moffitt will take his car for him while he is out...Brett had drove for him while he missed the first two races of the season. Brian and his family is in my thought and prayers as he goes through this ordeal once again. Ironically, this is blood clot awareness week and Brian was scheduled to do some appearances for it before the race... On a happy note...Dwight Yoakam will be the honorary starter for the race. Love Dwight's music!