Garrett Duke

Well y'all...they finally did it! Yahoo has finally opened up their fantasy NASCAR up...and guess who already made their league? I DID! I am super excited for the season to start...if you can't tell. This has got to be the LONGEST NASCAR off season ever... Just as last year, am looking to see who all would be interested in joining my league. All are welcome. It is free, easy, and all for fun! Would love to have some Duke friends/fans on my league. Here is the info you may need to join my league (Have to go to Yahoo.com. Have a Yahoo.com address I think (which is free) and go to their fantasy page and then Auto Racing fantasy...) My league's name is Gordon's Drive for Five (though you don't have to have to be a Gordon fan to play... ) Group ID Number: 947 Password: NASCAR24 Or you could send me your email address here or in a PM and I can send you an invite. That may be an easier way to do it. As I said, it is all for free and it is real simple...here is my short summary of how it works. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know and I will try to help any way I can. For all that is somewhat interested, here are some of the rules or how it works: *Every week you chose eight drivers to be in your team that week (or if you don't change it the next week, it will stay with last week's picks.) * Four of the drivers are starters, the other four are bench drivers. The starter drivers you will get points for where they qualify at, for laps led, and where they finish the race at. Whereas the bench drivers will get you points for where they qualify at ... so for them it don't matter if they finish first or last or last. *There are three groups of drivers. Group A (the more seasoned drivers, drivers that win more...) Group B (drivers that are good, but don't win as often) and Group C (the underdog drivers...the rookies and the drivers that you don't think of to win races.) *From Group A you pick one starter driver and one bench driver. From Group B you pick two starters and two bench. From Group C you pick one starter, one bench. On Yahoo they do have driver stats and expert picks that you can use from race to race - though it don't neccesarily mean a great finish (Here is an example of what a roster may look like: Group A: Jeff Gordon (S) Jimmie Johnson ( Group B: Dale Jr (S) Jamie McMurray (S) Ryan Newman ( AJ Allmendinger ( Group C: Michael Waltrip (S) Paul Menard () *For starters, you can only use a driver nine times (Bummer, I know. I'd love to use Gordon all 36 races...oh well. ) That is all I can think of as rules right now...I find it fun and entertaining. It gives me more than just Gordon, Johnson, and Jr to follow throughout the whole race. I am really looking forward to the NASCAR season to start up and to get back to playing NASCAR fantasy!

I was going for the Panthers too...but am happy for the 49ers. As I said, they are Gordon's team, so I have to go for them. Sounds reasonable, right? LOL Hobie...that would make things interesting having Hazzard High in there competing.

Congrats MM on your Seahawks winning today!!!!!!! So, did you have a huge party to watch the game and to celebrate the win??? Will you if they make it to the Super Bowl? My football season ends when my Bear's football season ends, so needless to say, I didn't watch the game, but I was going for them for you...and well, for Kasey Kahne. He is a big Seahawks fan and I know he was excited about the game the other day when I heard him being interviewed...he said that if the Panthers beat the 49ers tomorrow and the Seahawks play the Panthers in Seattle next week that he will go to the game. As I said my Bears are not in it so I am not watching much football...but the Panthers are my second favorite team, so I am pulling for them to win tomorrow. I am a big Cam Newton fan...their QB. I have had him as my fantasy football QB ever since he has made it pro and he has yet to let me down...LOL. Though if they do happen to lose, I will be happy for the 49ers as well. . .seeing on how they are Gordon's favorite team. LOL. See what NASCAR's off season has led me to? Going for my driver's favorite teams...(JJ likes the Chargers and the Panthers...while Dale Jr is a HUGE Redskins fan.) C'mon Daytona...43 more days and counting down...

LOL Hoss. I guess that would be pretty interesting and I am sure the announcers and the media will have a hay day with it as well. So far he is off to a good start. Thursday and Friday the Sprint Cup had their practice/testing at Daytona. Thursday it was rained out...really hope that is NOT the trend this season. URGH. Friday went as planned. Sadly I didn't get to watch it. Though today was the Nationwide Series and I read that with help from his dad, Bill Elliot, Chase Elliot came in as the fastest driver. Not too bad for a first test in NASCAR... Thanks Liz for the words of encouragement for this Jeff Gordon fan! They have been talking about Jeff Gordon and retirement for the past few years now. Don't know if it is because he has kids now or what, but they need to stop talking about that dread r word with him! LOL. I am hoping he has several good years in him... Oooo talking about NASCAR. Did hear some news the other day that does have me a bit sad. Dale Earnhardt Jr's crew chief Steve Letarte has came forth to say that this will be his last year. He will be stepping down and will help be an announcer when ABC will start showing the races. Happy for him, but sad to see him leave as Jr's crew chief. He is a good guy. He use to be Gordon's crew chief before they switched garages/ crews / cars with Gordon, Jr, and Kahne (Well it was Mark Martin at that time...).

Well I just wrote a blog about Chase! Here is the address if you want to check it out. Feel free to tell me what ya think. My Blog

Not a problem. Have been thinking of him and his family since it has happened. Been keeping track of it through several pages on Facebook that I have liked (NASCAR related). Just so sad. Especially it happening during the holidays and so close to his birthday. I really hope he will pull through this. I do have some NASCAR news to report that I am excited about...so I hope you don't mind that I share it here instead of starting another post. The past couple of years ago I have been keeping tabs of an up and coming Hendrick driver...Chase Elliot. He has drove one truck series race last year but it was mainly ARCA and other type series that drivers normally go through before coming to NASCAR. Hendrick must own teams or something in those series since he has been driving for Hendrick. I know he won a couple races in the series he was racing in and do believe they said he was the youngest driver to do so. . .so he has been fun to follow. Haven't really seen him race, but have been following him on Facebook and reading on how he has done since he was for Hendrick...as well as another reason (will get to that later..). Chase Elliot is Bill Elliot's eighteen year old son. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville I believe they called him. Bill is an retired race car driver (though he has ran a few races here and there...do believe he may have a ride for Daytona this year) so perhaps it isn't a surprise that his son his following his footsteps. Or that he is good at it. Anyway, my awesome news is....(drumroll...) That Chase Elliot will drive full time for JR Motorsports this upcoming 2014 season and will be sponsored by NAPA! (Michael Waltrip/Matin Truex Jr's sponsor that left after their whole ordeal at Richmond...) Dale Earnhardt Jr owns JR Motorsports with his sister Kelley Earnhardt in the Nationwide Series and now will have Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliot racing for him in 2014. Personally, I am excited to see what Chase will do in the Nationwide Series...with a good car. (As most know, Dale Jr drives for Hendrick Motorsports in the Sprint Series...) To see how he will do against other Nationwide Series drivers as well as the Sprint Cup drivers that race in the Nationwide Series. Though I am excited about all this, I am also a big saddened by it. I am saddened by it because it has been said that Chase Elliot will be the driver who will take over the 24 car when Jeff Gordon retires. And as y'all know, I am a HUGE Jeff Gordon fan! I hate the thought of Gordon retiring. Dread that day. Can't stand to think of a day where there will be someone else behind the wheel of the 24 car...just seems so wrong. NASCAR without Jeff Gordon seems all wrong to me. Though Gordon is 42 years old. The word RETIRE has been floating around with his name for some time now. (Though I find it odd that Tony Stewart is 42 years old...several months older than Gordon and yet no one mentions the word retire when saying Stewart's name. Just sayin'...) And personally, know that sooner or later they will all retire. I just hope that Gordon and the rest of the rest of the Hendrick drivers will last several more years...Gordon himself hasn't really came out when he will retire but has said that he will still be around when he does finally give in and retire. (Did say that he wants to race long enough for his kids to be able to enjoy it and remember it. Ella is six years old and Leo is three years old. So hopefully that means Gordon has several more years behind the wheel of the 24 car!) And I am sure Chase will take a few years in Nationwide Series before being "ready" for the Sprint Cup... So I guess...if anyone is to take over Gordon's ride...I would happy with Chase Elliot. Just hope it will be a few years...am not ready to see Gordon go. Then again, I don't think I ever will be. He was the first driver I liked...and will always be my favorite! Will be keeping track of Chase in the Nationwide Series and hope him the best of luck...

No need to be sorry Hoss...I was going to post it myself. I just didn't get to the computer until now. I really hope Michael will pull through all of this. How scary and sad...

Sorry to hear that Roger.

Thanks Hoss for giving me a chance to share another GREAT song from my favorite Country artist; Kenny Chesney. I could listen to his music over and over again. He helps turn a bad day into a better day. This song is no exception...love it! Come Over - Kenny Chesney

I hope you have super great birthday MM.

Well this song has more than one word, but had to post it with Christmas tomorrow...Hoss will love their dance moves!

I really hope you get feeling better soon MM...not fun being sick...even worse when you have to work through it all. Merry Christmas to MM and to everyone. I hope you will get to spend it with family and friends and it will be all together a great day for all. Hope 2014 will be great for all as well!

Well y'all, I got the best NASCAR news ever...well Ok perhaps not the best...well ok perhaps not news at all, but I thought I would let you know all the same... I have finally gone and done it! I have created my own NASCAR blog!!! Feel free to follow it or not, just thought I would share it with you. Just posted my first blog ever! NASCAR: A Fan's View

Well, I don't know how newsworthy this is since it has been rumored for a couple of months now, but Richard Childress has made the "news" official this past week. Childress is a car owner and had owned Dale Earnhardt Sr's car...Sr use to drive for Childress. Austin Dillion, Childress' grandson, will be racing for Richard Childress in the Sprint Cup this season...using the number three. The number three hasn't been used in Sprint Cup since Dale Earnhardt Sr had died in the closing laps of the 2001 Daytona 500... except I do believe Dale Jr drove it once for a promotional deal or some sort of thing...could be wrong. This seems to be an controversal topic in NASCAR since Dale Sr was so big and all. Personally, I don't really see what the big deal is that another driver is using the number three. It is an iconic number and probably always be associated with Dale Sr...I do get that. But NASCAR isn't like baseball or football where a team will retire a major player's number after he retires to respect all that he has done for their team, for the sport. Where as in baseball, football, hockey, or basketball there could be a lot of players with the same number, just a different team, NASCAR don't use the same number in different team, but ALL the drivers have a different number. You retire the number three for Dale Sr, where do you stop? He is not the only driver who has died too early...so would they retire their number too? Or how about the number 43 for Richard Petty...after all no one else will ever begin to compete with his two hundred wins... So I do agree with using the number three again, though don't know if I would give it to a kid as Dillion the first year in Cup. That is a big number to live up to and to be associated with. Am grateful that his car will be sponosered by Cheerios and will be yellow and not the black that Dale Sr drove. Smart move there. It will be interesting to see what Austin Dillion can do in a Cup car on a full schedule...as well as Kyle Larson who will be driving for Ganassi. . . So what y'all think of Dillion driving the number three? (Oh by the way...there is 70 more days til the Daytona 500. At this rate, don't think it will ever get here!!!)

"Come Back Song" Darius Rucker

Well not a whole lot of NASCAR news...but NASCAR has just bought Iowa's Speedway in Newton...Rusty Wallace had built it and had owned it and if I remember right, sold it. K&N series, Nationwide, and Truck Series have all ran there (along with others) and will continue to do so...but not Sprint Cup and it doesn't sound like NASCAR plans on bringing Sprint there. I really don't see them doing it in the near future...NASCAR would have to drop a track or something to make room with it...and the Iowa Speedway would need more roads, more stands, and the such in order to hold the top tier of NASCAR's racing. Being from Iowa, do have mixed emotions about it. Would be great to have a Sprint Cup race here in IOWA but at the same time, the track is under a mile long and really don't see any need for another short track on the Sprint Cup circuit. Bristol is the shortest track there is on the schedule and it is my favorite...but it has history and other factors to make it as big in popularity as it is. I'd be more for it if the Iowa track was at least a mile long or so. My opinion...of course. Though have heard from a few people who have gone there and heard everything positive about it so it must be a pretty good track. Hopefully one of these days will be able to go to a Nationwide Series race there... With that said...there is 86 MORE days til the Super Bowl of NASCAR...the Daytona 500!!!!!

I am so sorry to hear about your dad, MM. You all will be in my thoughts and prayers as you go through this. I hope he will get better soon. ((((HUGS))))

Welcome to Hazzardnet...from one Iowan to another. What ya know, I guess I am not the only Duke fan in Iowa after all.

Hope you have had a good birthday Hoss.

"Down the Road" Kenny Chesney with Mac McAnally Well the fact that this is Kenny Chesney...it shouldn't be a surprise to y'all, when I say that I love this song! Mac does a great job with his part as well. Can listen to Chesney's music all day and NEVER get tired of it. He has a way of making a bad day or a bad mood of mine a lil better. All I can say is, that this is one AWESOME song!

"Me Without You" Toby Mac

I am listening to Toby Mac's new album "Eye On It". Love this album, but then again I loved his other ones too. Very upbeat and positive. I can listen to this album over and over and never get tired of it.

To update my last post....Ricky Stenhouse Jr has won the Rookie of the year in the Sprint Cup series.

Well y'all...Homestead is now over as well as the 2013 NASCAR season. Talk about a wild race, a wild run through the entire season. As well as this race. Not a whole lot had happened other than a few cars hitting the wall and a couple of debris caution. Though there was a scary accident for Paul Menard when his rear caught on fire and blew the back tire off and luckily everyone was OK. Think the big incident happened on a restart w hen Jeff Gordon had a bad restart and Kyle Busch got into him. Which caused Matt Kenseth and JJ to get into each other. JJ went from sixth place to twenty-something. Though he was able to rebound and finish nine... Matt Kenseth started the race on the pole, best in practice, and led the most laps. He did everything he could to take that championship from Jimmie Johnson. Kenseth had finished second. Finished second to Denny Hamlin who was in need of a win after having a month off earlier this year due to an accident left him with a back injury. I am super excited and proud to announce that JIMMIE JOHNSON has won his SIXTH CHAMPIONSHIP of his NASCAR Sprint career. Mr. Five time has turned into Six Time or Six Pack! This is Jimmie Johnson's twelfth year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and his sixth championship. JJ is now batting .500!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also makes Rick Hendrick the winning car owner...giving Hendrick his eleventh championship. The most for all team owners! And he has Jeff Gordon to thank for all that. Gordon is the one who found him and brought him to Hendrick. Where Hendrick told Gordon to put his money where his mouth was...which was where Gordon came co-owner. FINAL RESULTS: 1. Denny Hamlin 2. Matt Kenseth 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 4. Martin Truex Jr. 5. Clint Bowyer 6. Brad Keselowski 7. Kyle Busch 8. Joey Logano 9. Jimmie Johnson 10. Kevin Harvick 11. Jeff Gordon 12. Carl Edwards 13. Kasey Kahne 14. Elliot Sadler 15. Kyle Larson 16. Aric Almirola 17. Ryan Newman 18. Juan Pablo Montoya 19. Mark Martin 20. Danica Patrick 21. Kurt Busch 22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr 23. Jeff Burton 24. Greg Biffle 25. Parker Kliergerman 26. Marcos Ambrose 27. David Gilliland 28. Casey Mears 29. David Ragen 30. Jamie McMurray 31. David Reutimann 32. JJ Yeley 33. Landon Cassill 34. Ken Shrader 35. Joe Nemechek 36. AJ Allmindinger 37. Travis Kvapil 38. Dave Blaney 39. Paul Menard 40. Trevor Bayne 41. Josh Wise 42. Tony Raines 43. Michael McDowell Truck Series Championship: MATT CRAFTON Truck rookie of the Year: RYAN BLANEY (Dave Blaney's son) Nationwide Series Championship: AUSTIN DILLON Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year: KYLE LARSON Sprint Cup Championship: JIMMIE JOHNSON Sprint Cup Rookie of the year: I don't know yet, but will keep you updated when I find out. I am willing to bet it will be Stenhouse Jr or Danica Patrick. TOP THIRTEEN POINTS: 1. Jimmie Johnson 2. Matt Kenseth 3. Kevin Harvick 4. Kyle Busch 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 6. Jeff Gordon 7. Clint Bowyer 8. Joey Logano 9. Greg Biffle 10. Kurt Busch 11. Ryan Newman 12. Kasey Kahne 13. Carl Edwards 14. Brad Keselowski Top thirteen in points are the Chase drivers. Top ten in Chase will get to go to the Banquet they have in a few weeks. While Brad Keselowski finished fourteenth to earn the million dollars the first none chase driver earns. Points are unofficial until tomorrow when they will make it official after going over everything. And with that...the season is over and we have 98 more days until the Daytona five hundred!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well as for my NASCAR race there has been four cautions so far, three for contact with wall, one for debri. Johnson is now sitting fourth and leading the points over Kenseth by 20 points who is now leading the race. Harvick has had a rough race thus far and is 56 (I think) points back of Johnson.