Garrett Duke

Just to update y'all on the roof flaps...NASCAR has decided NOT to penalize any of the drivers for the manipulated roof flats. Y'all know how much I love NASCAR, but really wish they would be consistant with their penalties and what not...

Oops. Thanks Hoss...

Just thought I would make a note to say that I have reactivated my Yahoo Fantasy football league : Super Bowl Bound. If anyone is interested please let me know and I can send an invite. It is all for free and all for fun. (If you have any questions, please let me know and I can do the best to help. ) Draft is set for Fri. August 9th at 8:30, but I can change it if that doesn't work for anyone.

Well the Daytona race has gotten over. And well...it was a typical Daytona race. Though I think the big story is that Jimmie Johnson is the first driver since 1982 to win both February's Daytona's race AND the July's Daytona race. First half of the race was pretty uneventful. Carl Edwards ran over his tire changer's foot...the tire changer was taking the tape off of Edwards' grill and when the guy who holds the car up for the tire change, dropped the car, Edwards went. ( That is the driver's sign that it is time to go when they drop the car) So he dropped the car and Edwards went to run over his tire changer's foot that got caught on the splitter...luckily it was his shoe that broke to save him and not his foot. And well things got a bit eventful towards the end of the race...and am sure will forget something. So please forgive me. LOL. Martin Truex Jr got spun out by Denny Hamlin who in turn took out Juan Pablo Montoya. Jeff Gordon came to pit road on a yellow third...going out of pits he tried to get passed Joe Nemechek and got into the grass which took him back to twelfth. A few laps later "the big one" came about with Denny Hamlin, AJ Allmindinger, Matt Kenseth,...and Jeff Gordon. Kasey Kahne went up to challenge Jimmie Johnson only to get into Ambrose and slung out into the infield and out of the race. And on the last lap...(if they wreck on the last lap, the race is over if the caution drops) two big accidents happen at two different places, but NASCAR keeps it green and Jimmie goes on to win the race. Tony Stewart came home second. Daytona's final results Sorry to tell you this, Hoss, but Ricky Stenhouse Jr was taken out on the last lap by his own girl friend...

Well Hoss...think I got to agree with Jimmie Johnson on this one. Can't believe you would miss JJ for that...LOL And as much as I respect you and all, I don't agree with your taste in music at all...that will never enjoy that song or anything like that remotely close as much as I do the New Kids on the Block. So in order to cleanse myself from that song you called music, I am going with another GREAT New Kids on the Block...with hope of bettering your taste in music. (Hope you know I am only giving you a hard time Hoss...not my kind of music, but have nothing against it or anyone who does like it...) NKOTB...COVER GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In less than two weeks...I will be seeing them in concert. Can you guess who is excited?

Thanks Hoss for the update...was out last night and by the time I got home you already had it updated. Don't know how well I will be able to report next week pre race activities or if how much I will be able to watch the race. I have family coming over next weeks from out of state...so I will do my best. But no promises. Well Hoss...you better tell Stenhouse to keep off of Jimmie's bumper. I have a feeling after last week, ol' Jimmie may be back for some redemption. You don't make Jimmie mad without some redemption. LOL. If you haven't guessed...I am super excited for tonight's race! One it is a night race. Two it is Daytona!!!!!!!!!!! Granted at restrictor plate tracks such as Daytona, anything goes and anyone can win. The drivers have to rely on themselves but also drafting with a couple of drafting partners. Glad that NASCAR has fixed the restrictor plate races so they aren't completely relying on another car to push them up to the front...ask Jeff Gordon, that can come back to hurt you when your drafting partner leaves you out to dry to go and help another driver. It is still there, just not as much as it use to be a couple of years ago. (If that makes sense ) Am not a huge Kyle Busch fan (but am more of a one now than I use to be...) but his pole position he earned yesterday for today's race is his first restrictor plate race pole. Thanks again Hoss.

Well where as most people have the Fourth of July off...the boys at NASCAR were in their cars for the first practice for the Daytona race that is Saturday night. And NASCAR has been busy confiscating roof flaps of 31 cars...16 of those cars are from the Sprint Cup, while I assume the rest of the cars are from the Nationwide Series. (The 31 roof flaps had failed inspection...) The roof flaps are those parts of the car's roof that flies open when the car spins out or gets in a wreck. It helps to keep the cars on the track. NASCAR is holding the 31 roof flats for inspection...with possible penalties being handed out next week. Sprint Cup drivers that was stopped with their roof flaps that had failed inspection was: All three Joe Gibbs Cars...Matt Kenseth (who won last week), Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin All three Rousch Fenway cars...Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. All three Michael Waltrp Racing cars...Martin Truex Jr. , Clint Bowyer, and Michael Waltrip Both Penske drivers...Brad Keselowski (who won the championship last year) and Joey Logano Both Richard Petty cars...Aric Almirola and Marcos Ambrose Jamie McMurray Casey Mears Trevor Bayne All drivers had to install new roof flaps before taking the track for practices today. 16 Sprint Cup cars fail inspection for their roof flaps

Dang it Roger...isn't it enough that your Pirates are on track for a hundred game winning season? You just have to go burst my bubble. LOL. Well if your Pirates can do it, my Cubs can do it.

Well the Kentucky race has just finished after ten or so cautions. Mostly for tire issues. Kyle Busch had spun out towards the start of the race...came home fifth. Denny Hamlin was having tire issues and went into pits when the skeleton (the rubber) flew off and hit Jr's car and Johnson's (they were running one and two at the time.) Johnson was able to go on with little damage while it held Jr up a bit. The major accident was towards the front too when Kurt Busch got into the back of Brad Keselowski and sent Keselowski up the track into oncoming traffic and Greg Biffle got into the back of Keselowski before Keselowski hit the wall. Both cars caught fire...also took out Paul Menard and Landon Cassill. It had red flagged the race for a little while but luckily everyone was OK...Keselowski and Menard came back out into the race. And well, you know what Waylon use to say about the Dukes? About if there wasn't bad luck, the Dukes wouldn't have any luck at all? Well that saying seems to fit true again for Jeff Gordon. After getting stuck in pits for green flag pit stops by a caution coming out a couple of times so far this year...Jeff Gordon got stuck TWICE in pits due to a caution going out while he was in there. Luckily the second time he was in the lucky dog position and was at least able to stay on the lead lap. All the same, it caused for some frustrating moments for this 24 fan. Though am proud that he was able to race himself forward for another top ten finish. Denny Hamlin, who had a back injury earlier this season, hit the wall pretty good and was in the in field care center for a while. Denny didn't say anything was wrong, but he was there for a while which had me worried. But he says everything is good. Brian Vickers hit the wall for the second to last caution...and after leading 182 laps today, Jimmie Johnson loses the lead to Matt Kenseth who didn't take any tires during the final pit stop when everyone else took two. Johnson came out second and didn't have a good restart. Then as he tried holding his position away from Joey Logano, Johnson spun out and brought him all the way back to twenty-fifth (I think they said) with only fifteen or so laps to go. (Another very highly frustrated moment for this fan...LOL) Not the win he should have had, but Johnson was clearly driving mad. And when JJ drives mad, well, he normally gets the job done. In only fifteen or so laps, JJ went from 25th or so all the way up to ninth. At least got a top ten out of it... Matt Kenseth somehow made his no tire call work and grabbed his fourth win of the season...a year after he had announced he was leaving Rousch, the team where spent his entire NASCAR Cup career at to Gibbs, where he is racing now. Here is the official results: 1. Matt Kenseth 2. Jamie McMurray 3. Clint Bowyer 4 Joey Logano 5 Kyle Busch 6 Kurt Busch 7 Martin Truex Jr. 8 Jeff Gordon 9 Jimmie Johnson 10 Kevin Harvick 11 Kasey Kahne 12 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 13 Marcos Ambrose 14 Ryan Newman 15 Aric Almirola 16 Juan Pablo Montoya 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 18 Casey Mears 19 Jeff Burton 20 Tony Stewart 21 Carl Edwards 22 A J Allmendinger 23 Danica Patrick 24 Austin Dillon 25 David Stremme 26 David Ragan 27 David Reutimann 28 David Gilliland 29 Ken Schrader 30 Paul Menard 31 Brian Vickers 32 J.J. Yeley 33 Brad Keselowski 34 Greg Biffle 35 Denny Hamlin 36 Landon Cassill 37 Joe Nemechek 38 Michael McDowell 39 Josh Wise 40 Dave Blaney 41 Mike Bliss 42 Travis Kvapil 43 Scott Riggs (Hoss...you may want to tell Stenhouse Jr to watch his speed in pit road. He was one of five to get caught speeding on pit road on the last pit stop...) We are back to restrictor plate racing next Saturday night at Daytona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully weather will not intervene this time. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9422599

Well looks like Mother Nature has finally came to my rescue...will be able to watch the race afterall. Hate to miss a night race, but at least will be able to watch it now. If I remember right next week's race at Daytona is normally Saturday night...

Congrats again Roger... So in other words, prior to this season, the Cubs have been better than your Pirates? Woo hoo! Let's go Cubs!

Congrats Roger!

Roger - Dang it, I thought you had some Cubs players. So in other words, you must have terrible players because we all know all the best players are on the Cubs. As for our NASCAR league...you better run and hide because I am in dire need to get back to first place. Thanks Hoss for posting the line up for tonight's race...I didn't get home til way late last night and didn't even look at where my drivers started not alone to think of posting them. And sadly, I am going out again tonight...so I will most likely miss tonight's race. Dang I hate missing a race...ESPECIALLY a NIGHT race. Ah well perhaps Jeff Gordon and team Hendrick will do better without me . Kentucky is the ONLY active track that Jeff Gordon has yet to win at (they just started racing here a couple of years ag) so I am really hoping he will get his 88th win tonight so he can say he has won at all tracks. I will read up on it and can and will write my review on that...sorry for all of this. Hoss - you are worried about Jeff Gordon holding up Stenhouse Jr? Not a chance...Gordon is going to go straight to first once the green flag drop.

Well that is the first time I saw that clip...haven't seen those movies. Besides baseball don't go by the movies...they go game by game. Player by player. So until I am able to go in the past and predict the season to gain money, I will go by scores and such. Talking of baseball...Jeff Gordon took his two year old son to the Yankees game. Not the Cubs but at least it is the Yankees.

Sorry to disappoint you Roger, but it ain't gonna happen this year. Because this year, is the CUBS year, all the way! I may have said the same thing for the past twenty some years, but, you know, that is besides the point...one of these years I will be correct and it might as well as be this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oops...glad I missread that. I thought you said we were tied once and then you won...well I guess I can celebrate the weekly victory last week. Seeing how I am losing pretty bad this week. And I would love to make it to the playoffs...don't know if I ever made it that far in baseball. I was excited to get Donaldson...do you have any good players you would be willing to give me?

I bet he did...sorry that he won't be doing it this year. Perhaps next year. Nice to take turns, right?

That is a bummer...hopefully it will change.

Thanks K Duke And yeah, I saw Rozzi and I couldn't resist putting Rizzo down.

Well this isn't baseball or Dukes related, but am proud to share that the Stanley Cup is coming to Chicago with the Blackhawks! Have yet to sit down and watch a hockey game, but have kept up with the Blackhawks through Facebook and through fantasy hockey...am proud and excited that the Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations Chicago Blackhawks on a great season...and for winning the Stanley Cup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/ Now if only the Cubs can follow suit and win the World Series...I would be beyond HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!

Rozzi fire works...you switch the i and the o around you have Rizzo. As in the Cubs first baseman, Anthony Rizzo! (I am actually wearing his jersery shirt as I type this. HA!) Sorry K, couldn't help myself when I saw the name. I hope that you will one day be able to experience a live MLB game...you will love it. Meanwhile support them from the TV...you can have your own bathroom and well, your drinks and food won't be as expensive.

You mean...you mean...you mean I lost...to you?! In fantasy baseball...? LOL. Congrats on the win...but it will be fun beating you in nine more weeks. I better to tune up my team before then. Since this team has failed me... LOL. As for NASCAR, thank you Roger. Second place finish feels like a win...best finish of the season as of yet. The win has to be around the corner somewhere soon. Right? I was and am very excited with yesterday's race...for Gordon and the rest of team Hendrick. Don't beat yourself up about your NASCAR Fantasy performance...road coarses are different where as there is a select number of drivers that excel at them while the others kinda suffer through them. I will be glad to give you pointers when they go to their second road race next month if you want. But don't be mad if I end up being wrong...I am wrong more than right. I thought I did pretty good with my team, but instead, I ended up slipping. Was disappointed in that...guess havign Juan Pablo Montoya run out of gas on the last lap didn't help me.

Dang it...you are right. I forgot to mention DW was the grand marshall! I was sooo excited when he got up there...it was great to hear his boogity boogity boogity again. I really miss that...I miss him. Musta been all them commercial breaks that got me distracted...think you are right Hoss. Feel like TNT shows more commercials than they do the race and feel the announcers are more negative than the ones on FOX. As I said, really wish FOX aired all the races...but that is my opinion for how little it is worth. You are right...I did like seeing DW and his command.

The Sonoma race has just ended and as I posted earlier, it started off with a bang. Last year they said their first caution was on lap 87 or something like that, but their first caution today was on lap seven after Pablo spun out Kyle Busch. No retaliation on Busch's part, but Kyle had a horrible race that was filled with bad luck. Seemed like he spun out a lot either by the help of others or by his own. Marcos Ambrose led the first few laps before Kurt Busch took over to lead a few laps. On lap twenty-four, Jeff Gordon goes in to make his first pit stop (he was tenth) and right before he made the commitment cone to pit road, NASCAR pulls the caution for rain...which put Gordon at the end of the longest line...and in 38th position. I bet you all can guess who was NOT happy. Kurt Busch goes into pit, his crew chief, warns him to watch his speed that there were others were caught speeding on pit road. So what does Kurt do? He gets caught speeding on pit road. Not only that, but as he went to do his drive through penalty for speeding on pit road...he gets caught again for speeding on pit road. He was put a lap down after that, but he managed to race his way up to the lead lap again and for a top ten finish. Danica Patrick spun out a couple of times today...She was helped put back on the main lap when car owner Tony Stewart caused an accident when he rear ended another driver. (Can't think of who it was at the moment.) Denny Hamlin got into the wall or grass area and caused an infield grass fire...which was quickly put out. Jeff Gordon on the other hand raced his way from 38th position to lead lap before the caution goes out with thirty laps to go...comes back out second to Joey Logano. Martin Truex Jr at some point took the lead and never looked back...breaking his two hundred plus winless streak. Juan Pablo Montoya ran second for a long time before his car ran out of gas on the last lap...which gave Jeff Gordon a second place finish. (Bet y'all can't guess who is excited about that?!) FINAL RESULTS AT SONOMA: 1. Martin Truex Jr. 2. Jeff Gordon 3. Carl Edwards 4. Kurt Busch 5 Clint Bowyer 6 Kasey Kahne 7 Marcos Ambrose 8 Greg Biffle 9 Jimmie Johnson 10 Kevin Harvick 11 Joey Logano 12 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 13 Brian Vickers 14 Paul Menard 15 Ryan Newman 16 Casey Mears 17 Travis Kvapil 18 Boris Said 19 Matt Kenseth 20 Aric Almirola 21 Brad Keselowski 22 Ron Fellows 23 Denny Hamlin 24 David Gilliland 25 Jamie McMurray 26 David Reutimann 27 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 28 Tony Stewart 29 Danica Patrick 30 Justin Marks 31 Jeff Burton 32 Josh Wise 33 David Ragan 34 Juan Pablo Montoya 35 Kyle Busch 36 David Stremme 37 Victor Gonzalez Jr. 38 Tomy Drissi 39 Paulie Harraka 40 Alex Kennedy 41 Jacques Villeneuve 42 J.J. Yeley 43 Bobby Labonte We will be back to making only left turns next Sunday at Kentucky!

HA HA ! I love that Hoss. Well y'all...before the race has even started, there was an accident between two drivers as they went off pit road that had caused a delay to the start of the race as they had to clean the pit road. Bobby Labonte already having a bad day before the race has started. The race has started despite the rain. Now Bobby Labonte pulled off to the side, parked, saying engine problems. David Ragen just got spun out...crazy start to the race! Oh and Juan Pablo Montoya has just spun out Kyle Busch...I can guarantee you that one Kyle Busch is NOT happy with JPM right now.