Garrett Duke

Well we are racing at Bristol this weekend...or if you are in the truck series, you raced at Bristol last night (Kyle Busch won). Not only are they racing at Bristol (my FAVORITE track!) but they are also racing Saturday night! Bet y'all can't guess who is excited?!!!! I AM!!!! Night racing at Bristol = NASCAR heaven! LOL. This race probably ranks right up there with Daytona 500 for me...and you all know how big the Daytona 500 (NASCAR's Superbowl!) is! The race will be at 7:00 EST (I think) on ABC...though you may want to check your local listings. I have read on Facebook that in some areas the NASCAR coverage will be interrupted due to preseason football. I checked mine and my listing still shows the race and not football. (Which I am glad for...I'd be beyond upset if I missed the race for football. And yes...even if it was the Bears football game (which they play tomorrow night...) I would still be mad.) Here is a video of a NASTY wreck at Bristol several years ago...think I read 1990 where Michael Waltrip connected hard against the concrete wall which cut his car in half. If you don't believe in miracles, you better watch a GREAT miracle happen as Michael Waltrip is able to walk away from one of the nastiest wrecks I have yet seen (in video) as they literally had to pick his car off the track, piece by piece. Just too scary...hope we don't see anything like this Saturday night... Dang, both Mikey and Darrell looks so young in this video...

Here is a great Keith Urban song...love the emotions he puts into his songs! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ-15YIvH5Y

Thanks y'all. I have been a Cubs fan since I was four...and don't see that changing. EVER. LOL. I may disagree with their trades and what not, but will be a fan, no matter what. I hope you are right, K-Duke. That I will be able to see them in the World Series before I die. Roger your post reminded me of an article I read today about which football team has the most loyal fans. Cowboys are ranked as the team with the most loyal NFL fans while the poor Raiders have the least loyal fans. The Bears came in seventh...guess they didn't know me when they made this post. LOL

I am so sorry to hear that you are having head aches and heart problems...very scary. Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Well I got some more Tony Stewart news and as a big NASCAR fan, this has hit me harder than what I thought it would... Tony Stewart will be out for the rest of the 2013 season due to breaking his leg in a sprint car accident in Iowa two weeks ago where he broke both his tibia and fibula...and had a metal rod surgically implanted into his leg. Mark Martin will be his full time replacement with the exception of the October Talladega race where Austin Dillon will substitute. Tony Stewart will be back for the 2014 season. This has all been confirmed by Stewart-Haas (or according to Hoss...Stewart-Hoss) Racing. I have never been a big Stewart fan but have had more of a fan the past couple of seasons now that he hasn't been as aggressive as he had been in the past and due to the fact that he does use Hendrick engines...but still, to see Tony Stewart sit out the rest of the season is HUGE. . .and sad to see. Though I have to admit I do think it is for the better for him personally to sit out and allow for his leg to heal properly and come back in full form next season. Smart choice on Tony's part, but still sad to see. Hope he will heal quick and well. Oh and while I am here...it is always RUMORED (haven't heard for sure as of yet) but have heard that Kurt Busch has been offered a ride at Stewart-Haas Racing for a fourth car in 2014. IF this is true and IF Kurt accepts (which I don't know why he wouldn't accept it...if it is true) it will make for a race team full of aggressive drivers. Stewart, Harvick (who will be joining next season), and Kurt Busch are known as aggressive drivers and then there would be Danica Patrick who has had her share of being aggressive (though am not sure if I would rank her as aggressive as Stewart, Harvick, or Kurt Busch.) As I said, the whole Kurt Busch thing so far is only rumored and I will let you know if and when it becomes more official...

HA HA K Duke...Very funny. LOL. Just because Roger's pirates (shouldn't they be in jail instead of on the field. Pirates are normally known for being mean and stealing and such...just sayin' ) have won a game or two more than the Cubs, don't mean the Cubs haven't won a game this season. Though I have to admit it is a pretty sad season...I am sure I have cursed all my teams. Well at least Gordon and the Cubs at least. Perhaps if I start going for Roger's Pirates and his Dale Jr...the Pirates will start to lose miserably and Jr will be plagued with a bunch of bad luck. Well the Pirate idea sounds good...not so much for Jr. Jr is my third favorite driver and hate to see him have any more bad luck than what he had yesterday. *SIGH* Well, K - Duke, all I can say is that NEXT year is going to be the CUBS year...forget that I have been saying that for over fifteen years now. I say it long enough, it is bound to become true.

Thanks everyone for filling in for me while I was gone and helping out. It means a lot to me. Just wish I came home to better results...LOL. Thanks again.

Well the deal has been made . Brian Vickers now has a two year contract with Michael Waltrip Racing...starting next season. Also... I have heard on Facebook, that Juan Pablo Montoya will not be returning to Chip Ganassi Racing next season... Ah the irony of it...one deal seals while another one opens. Will keep you updated if I hear any more on where Juan may land for next year or who will be taking his ride in 2014.

Well y'all they have finally announced who will be driving for Tony Stewart this upcoming race at Michigan...they had said his name yesterday, but it was only rumored, so I wanted to wait to see it official before posting it this time. Seeing how it is NOT Ragen Smith as I had said it was... Richard Childress (RCR - team owner of Richard Childress Racing) grandson Austin Dillon will be driving the 14 car at Michigan. Richard has two grandsons who are in the Nationwide Series...Austin and Ty. I believe it is Austin who will be moving to the Cup Series next year...in what is rumored to be the number three car. If Richard goes through with it and it isn't all talk and rumor...Austin will be the first driver to drive the number three car since Dale Sr died in 2001. Richard Childress owns the number three in the Spint Cup...Dale Sr use to drive for him before having his own team. But as I said the whole number three deal so far is only talk, will let you know if there is more to it. Also for more NASCAR news (as Rosco would say, I love it, I love it!) Brian Vickers will be driving FULL time for Michael Waltrip Racing with the Aaron's sponsor car. The past couple of years he has been forced to drive part time, sharing a ride with Mark Martin. Of the article I read, said that Martin has said he will not be returning to the team next year...though it has yet to be made official. Someone from MWR put out to the media that they had a big announcement that they would make on Tuesday... See where I stand in NASCAR? I know stuff before the media! Just forget the fact that I read about this in an article online that a friend of mine posted on Facebook...LOL. Brian Vickers MAY be racing full time next year So I guess we will see tomorrow to see if that turns OFFICIAL...will let you know...but I am thinking it is real due to the fact that there has been talk about it. Just nothing concrete until what seems to be now... I have nothing against Mark Martin and I hope him the best with his future whether he finds another ride for next year or if this his slow step back into retirement (that he said he was going to do years ago when Rusty Wallace retired...). But I am super excited to see that Brian Vickers has finally found a full time ride for next year! Also, I just read another article on Tony Stewart where Tony Stewart MAY be sitting out the rest of the 2013 season. I guess Stewart-Hass Racing competition director, Greg Zipadelli (use to be Tony's crew chief when he was racing the 20 Joe Gibbs car) and team are talking to Tony and they will come out on Wednesday with word on if Tony will return and who will be driving the 14 car at that time...if NOT Tony. As always, will keep you updated.

Hope you had fun at the wedding. You are welcome...and yeah, I wish I had better news to share. Onto next week.

Tony Stewart has been released from the hospital and is resting at home. They said they are wanting to pick an replacement driver by tomorrow...will keep you updated with the official driver. Get better soon Smoke!

I think you were reffering to the race on TNT...they had commercial breaks every other minute...or perhaps every other lap. ESPN is a little better. "Crank It UP" was a FOX feature...one that I love having. Then again, I love it when the races are on FOX. To me the announcers are more positive about everyone, less commercial breaks, and they are or seem to be excited to be there and know their stuff. I really wish all the races were on FOX. My opinion...of course. As for the roof flaps...well I better read more closely. I read that part of your post a couple of times and thought it said roof flaps...but doh me. Obviously Gordon was missing some safety there and didn't have all of his car. Trust me, Gordon wasn't happy about it. I don't know if you heard his interview after the accident, but that was the most disappointed and the most depressed I had ever heard him. It was very hard for me to see him so down, so disappointed, and so depressed about it. Normally he tries to put a smile on, tries to put some positive spin on it. There was none of that today. He was upset to have to race what is left of his car the rest of the race. All I know is that it had to be OK with NASCAR otherwise the officials wouldn't have let him back on the track, they would have back flagged him. Which they didn't...have seen other cars out there (not today) that looked like his car so I think as long as all the inside parts are working great and they can keep the car up to speed, they are OK to bring it back out on the track.

Am glad that you are a fan of F1, Hoss and that you like your coverage better than NASCAR. I am not a fan of ESPN's coverage but mainly due to the announcers who make comments like Rusty Wallace's today about how "Gordon was so upset with his car that he wrecked it." Hmmm, yeah sure, Rusty. Gordon May have struggled with his ill handling race car ALL weekend long, but I can guarantee you that Gordon didn't wreck it on purpose like Rusty made it sound like he did. Hoss...believe it or not, Gordon is NOT the first one to be out driving a car that looks like that. Or end a race with a car without the hood. I am sure he was perfectly well within limits of NASCAR's expectations. As long as he was able to keep it up to speed...which he was...there wasn't a problem. As for safety concerns, the only thing Gordon was missing was the hood and front side of his car. The roof flaps are on top of the roof...Glad you found so me humor in it. Max did a good job driving Stewart's car to fifteenth position. Am sure it isn't easy taking over someone else's ride in a series where he doesn't normally race in and have to work with a team he has never worked with before. Stewart is a great road racer, drives in that car every week, and works with his team week in and week out. I do believe Stewart would have a better shot at a better race in his car than Papis or anyone else.

Well the race at Watkins Glen has just finished...the last road race of the season. No more right turns for the Sprint Cup this year. LOL. Marcos Ambrose had won the last two Watkins Glen races and led from the pole to lead 51 of ninety laps before being shuffled towards the back due to pit road strategies. We had eight cautions today due to accidents and what not. Jeff Gordon had fought his car all weekend and started the race 28th which put him on the defensive end before he went to pass on lap fourteen and violently spun into the wall and he was forced to call for a wrecker to pull him to the garage. He later came back out without a hood and a sad looking race car to finish 36th. Later in the race Matt Kenseth spun Kasey Kahne out and into Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr was able to stay out, but both cars were pretty badly wrecked. Glad everyone is ok. Race came back to green and Marcos Ambrose who by now was in tenth had a hard time getting started and Kevin Harvick bumped Max Papis (who was racing for Tony Stewart) who wrecked Marcos Ambrose and Brian Vickers out of the race. After being wrecked out of a win last year at the last lap, Kyle Busch went on to win the race today. 1 Kyle Busch 2 Brad Keselowski 3 Martin Truex Jr. 4 Carl Edwards 5 Juan Pablo Montoya 6 Clint Bowyer 7 Joey Logano 8 Jimmie Johnson 9 Kurt Busch 10 A J Allmendinger 11 Jamie McMurray 12 Casey Mears 13 Kevin Harvick 14 Ryan Newman 15 Max Papis 16 Greg Biffle 17 Paul Menard 18 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 19 Denny Hamlin 20 Danica Patrick 21 David Ragan 22 Boris Said 23 Matt Kenseth 24 Owen Kelly 25 David Gilliland 26 Jeff Burton 27 Dave Blaney 28 Landon Cassill 29 Alex Kennedy 30 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 31 Marcos Ambrose 32 Brian Vickers 33 David Stremme 34 Kasey Kahne 35 Ron Fellows 36 Jeff Gordon 37 Aric Almirola 38 Michael McDowell 39 Brian Keselowski 40 Travis Kvapil 41Victor Gonzalez Jr. 42Tomy Drissi 43 David Reutimann We are back to turning left only next Sunday at Michigan. Heads up...I will be out of town next weekend so it is looking like I will miss the race (sadly) but w ill keep you updated once I read up on the race. On a positive note...before the race, they had said that Tony was hoping to be getting out of the hospital after he got done watching the race. A step in the right direction on Smoke.

Dang MM that has got to be rough. I am sorry to hear that you are still suffering from headaches and that your doctors haven't been able to figure out is causing them nor able to help you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtmEpltGGe4

Well I have another update on Tony Stewart. First off...he is still in the hospital after his accident on Monday night in Iowa that had broke his leg in two different places and had him go through two different surgeries. Still no word on when he will be getting out. And well, Hoss, it is starting to look as if we both won't get what we want...LOL. So far, this is only a RUMOR, and no real fact about it, and I will let you know when it does become an actual fact. But for now it is RUMORED that Nationwide driver...who drives for Dale Earnhardt Jr. . . . Ragen Smith will be filling in for Tony Stewart in the 14 car AFTER the Michigan race next weekend. (I think I read somewhere that Tony and team doesn't want a Nationwide driver driving for Tony at Michigan since Nationwide doesn't race at Michigan.) Greg Zippidelli...Tony's former crew chief who works within Tony's team...said they are working on finding a driver to take Tony's place while he is out of the car and want to find the driver by the end of the weekend. And since I had given y'all my opinion on Elliot Sadler or who I wanted to see take Tony's place while he was out, I will give you another opinion...no matter how wrong it is. I must admit, Ragen Smith would be a great choice to drive the 14 car of Stewart's too. Didn't even think of him. He currently sits second in points in the Nationwide Series and had experience in the Cup Series. As has Max Papis. So I do believe I will keep my opinions to myself. Tony and Greg seem to know what they are doing in finding another driver while Tony is out... But I do have to say that WHOEVER it is that takes over for Tony while he is out hurt, he has some big shoes to fill. Hope Max will take that 14 car from the back towards the front (behind my Hendrick drivers of course ). As I said, so far the whole thing on Ragen Smith taking the ride is only RUMORED. Will let you know when it becomes fact or who they will officially pick when it becomes known to the public. (On a side note...thanks Hoss for placing the qualifying order in the other thread. Had a day long seminar for work to go to today. UGH. Glad that is over and now can watch the race tomorrow...we get to turn right and left tomorrow! Thanks for covering.)

Roger - I was so glad to see you at the draft last night! Made my night...super glad your computer was able to work through it and that it seems to be acting better. Perhaps if you put Cubs and Pirate images on your computer, you would have a super fast and great computer. All them Steelers and Pirates are slowing it down... Though have to admit...doubt my computer is as bad as your's sounded, but my lap top seems to be going slower and slower and even had an "emergency" shut down a couple of days ago. My home computer is slow and has it's own issues of randomly shutting down too. URGH. I am starting to "want" a new lap top...but first off need the money to get it. LOL. Which reminds me of this song on Toby Mac's new album "Eye on it" (Toby Mac is one of my favorite Christian music artist...) in which he sings with his older son Truett...or better known as Tru Dog. "Mac Daddy (Tru's Reality)" Yep...is starting to be how I feel right about now. Though doubt I would get a Mac...would probably get another and newer Gateway.

Yeah I am sure CMT dropping the Dukes has a lot to do with it. Guess it is up to us to keep the great show alive. I am sorry to hear about your migraine MM...I hope that it has gone away and that you are feeling better. Not fun at all!

Thanks Roger that means a lot to me! Likewise to you...to be crowned if not me. I have been super excited for this draft...and now I am nervous now that we are in the draft. I do believe I should be able to pick out my players first since it is my league. HA HA. Best of luck Roger.

Hoss - I am sorry if you felt like I was arguing with you. That wasn't my purpose. If you think Max is more qualified than Elliot, that is perfectly fine. I knew Max raced in other series but perhaps not the full extent of his back ground. Like I said, I like Max and if he is the one in Tony's car until Tony's return, I would be happy for him. I was happy when I heard he was taking his seat this week...I was just trying to tell you where I was coming from with Elliot Sadler. Someone said on Facebook that a Nationwide Series driver would not take Tony's ride on the 18th when the Cup Series will be in Michigan. I guess Nationwide doesn't race there so may have to go to another series that does drive there. Either way or whoever takes Tony's ride while he recovers from his injuries, I will keep you updated. All Hendrick drivers will have a sticker on their cars wishing Tony a fast recovery.

Sorry Roger, I thought you knew, I don't plan on getting beat. I plan on WINNING!!!!!!!!!!! KHEE!

Hoss...I do believe you misinterpreted what I said or meant about Elliot Sadler driving in Tony's car. I do like Max Papis...got a kick out of him a month ago in the Nationwide Series Race where this other driver (can't remember who) got mad at another driver who ended up winning the race. The driver that got mad then took it out on Max Papis (which irritated me. Why take it out on another driver that has nothing to do with what happened? If I remember right, the driver he was mad at, really didn't even do anything to him...could be wrong. I don't watch the Nationwide Series races as I wish I could. I just saw this in a highlight) and spun Max out on the last lap or around the last lap. The driver that was mad was getting interviewed by one of the pit road reporters when Max walked up and in between the interviewer and the driver and patted the driver on the face with is palm...didn't slap or hit him, but his patted him on the face to let him know he was upset and yet had the restraint to control himself and his emotions. I do like Max Papis and do believe he is an PERFECT fit for Stewart's car this upcoming race at Watkins Glen. Max Papis normally shows up for the road races anyway in an unfunded team and now he will be in a well funded car with great equipment under him. Will be great to see what Max can do in Tony's car. But what I was referring to is the fact that no one as of yet has been named to Tony's car after this upcoming race. Yeah it would be good to see Max in it again and maybe if he does well this weekend he will be in it. I don't know. No one has said who will be in his car after this weekend. Personally I can't see them using Max on an oval track but then again, maybe they will. Just sayin' if they do use another driver it would be nice to see Elliot Sadler to get another shot at a Cup race and in a well funded car. Trust me, I am not trying to cut down Max's pedigree of racing or any of the sorts. I knew of Max Papis before any of this has happened. Watched him several NASCAR races. I am not saying he isn't qualified nor undeserving of it. I am sure he will do a good job for Smoke...just sayin' it would be nice for someone to give Sadler a shot. Had said that when Hamlin got hurt towards the beginning of the season. And yet for some reason, Hamlin didn't listen to me. LOL. And of course the whole Elliot Sadler thing is only my OPINION and I do have to say, Elliot is my favorite Nationwide Series driver, so perhaps my opinion is biased. And since you mentioned you looked up Max Papis...well here is Elliott_Sadler's stats.

You are welcome Roger...will keep y'all updated if I hear anything more.

Last call out y'all...tomorrow night is my online draft for my fantasy football league. It is all for fun and all for free. Let me know by eight or so if you are interested and I can send you an invite.