Garrett Duke

The pre-race show has just started on FOX. The Sprint boys are racing under the dessert sun in Phoenix today. Mark Martin has won the pole...while Jr starts 29th...and Gordon 30th. Will make sure to keep you all updated either throughout the race and or after...Hope you all get to watch.

I had that thought when I first read this thread. What a shame if it is true. But at least it is on DVD...

Roger- You say that like Fantasy Sports is a bad thing? LOL. To me it is just plain addicting...though sadly I kinda let my hockey and basketball teams slide a bit - though I did look at 'em last night. Not that they are too much time, just I've been too busy. But now with NASCAR on and almost baseball...I'll make sure to find the time to keep my roster up to date.

I follow Donnie Wahlberg on Twitter...he is one of the New Kids on the Block...and plays Danny Reagen on "Blue Bloods". Well I had a friend, who also is a NKOTB / BB fan and follows Donnie on Twitter and she pointed it out to me via FaceBook (I don't check Twitter as often as I do FB) Anyway, I had to share what Donnie had to say about last night's episode: Donnie Wahlberg‏@DonnieWahlbergReply Retweet Favorite · Open Danny Reagan did what Boss Hog and Roscoe P Coltraine could never do... Arrest a DUKE! This cracked me up!

Ok so now I am absolutely ashamed and MAD at myself. I am a HUGE "Blue Bloods" fan (my second favorite show...after the Dukes of course. ). Donnie Wahlberg, from the New Kids on the Block, plays Danny Reagan so I look forward to seeing him every Friday night. And as every Friday night, I watched "Blue Bloods" last night. When I saw him, I thought every time that he looked like Tom Wopat, but kept saying to myself that it couldn't be him. At least I recognized him, but still, I should have been sure it was him. Should have been excited to see him...even though he played one bad dude last night. Well now my top two favorite TV shows have now been connected...wish I had been more certain about Tom Wopat though. If you all want a good police TV show to watch..."Blue Bloods" is it. Love "Blue Bloods" almost (I said almost...) as much as The Dukes of Hazzard. Sure Donnie Wahlberg got me interested in it (he plays a major part in the series too...) but now it is about all the actors/acteress and characters. They are all awesome...Tom Selleck plays the dad if any one is a fan of him. Just as Dukes of Hazzard were about family, the Reagen family is all about being family. They even have a family meal in every episode. There is my two cents worth on it. Love the show and am excited that Tom was in it and that my suspicions were right...

I thought about giving up FB for lent or the internet before giving up that idea and went onto something else that is also a challenge for me. Figured one challenge at a time, I guess. As for others, I haven't heard, then again, don't know anyone who would have told me...sorry I am of no help.

Well it looks like it is my turn to vent... Jimmie Johnson's car failed car inspectiong BEFORE the Shootout race for having illegal "C" post (The part of the car that lines the back end of the side window that connects the roof to the car.) NASCAR stated they would deal with penalties AFTER the Daytona race. Well it is after the Daytona race and this NASCAR fan is NOT happy at all about what they gave out. Jeff Gordon will always be number ONE in my book, but JJ is second. NASCAR has fined Jimmie Johnson 25 driver points...and since he finished 42 at Daytona (as if that is NOT bad enough...) he is now -23 (MINUS POINTS!) behind the point leader. The article I read said he most likely will have to have a top twenty finish at Phoenix this Sunday in order to reach the zero mark! They have fined car owner, JEFF GORDON, twenty-five owner points. They have fined his crew chief, Chad Knaus, $100,000. Plus they placed Knaus and car chief Ron Malek on suspension for six weeks. Meaning they won't be back until the April 22nd race at Kentucky! Hendrick is appealing it all and is positive they were not cheating. The car they ran at Daytona is the SAME car they used last year at restrictor plate races. Only thing changed was the pain scheme! Also said that Knaus and Malek is not the ones who work on that area of the car and even the guys who did work on it, says nothing has changed. They didn't do a thing to it! Am so frustrated right now. As if getting wrecked on the second lap into the race wasn't bad enough...now this. Minus points even! If Knaus and Malek...and Johnson didn't do a thing with that part, why they getting hit so hard? Just don't make sense to me. Knaus has the reputation for breaking the rules from time to time, but he himself says the cc are paid to push the envelope as far as allowed...so perhaps they pushed it a little to far this time, but really? Does the penalty fit the crime? Especially since they changed the part out before the shootout race, they didn't even race with that dang illegal part on the car! Well hopefully JEFF GORDON will win at Phoenix once again and JJ come home second..and am hoping Hendrick will WIN the appeal.

Glad to hear from you Countrygirl...you had me a little worried there for awhile. Glad to hear you found something that can work for you. Hope things will continue to get better for you.

Well I didn't stay up to watch the end of the race...went to bed too late as it was waiting for it to end. Just glad everyone is OK after Montoya's wreck. Breif summary: Elliot Sadler bumped Johnson on the second lap to send him spinning. He got hit hard a couple of times. One included Danica Patrick who sat in the garage for sixty some laps. The other was by David Ragen who was taken out...as was Johnson. Under half way, Jeff Gordon's engine blew - he said his crank broke? Said it normally happens when things are too hot, but it was on the cool side and didn't understand how that happened. Anyway, my top two drivers didn't make it to the half way mark. Martin Truex Jr led at the half way mark to win the two hundred thousand dollars. Then with forty laps to go they were under caution and Juan Pablo Montoya was speeding up to get caught up only for his transmission or breaks to snap. It sent him up the track and hard into a jet dryer truck that burst into flames and spread on the track. Very scary looking. Glad they are both OK. They red flagged the race for an hour and a half...they used TIDE laundry detergent to clean the track afterwards. Interesting to watch them pick the truck up and off the track since it's tires were melted to the track. Here is the top ten finishing spots: 1. Matt Kenseth 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3. Greg Biffle 4. Denny Hamlin 5. Jeff Burton 6. Paul Menard 7. Kevin Harvick 8. Carl Edwards 9. Joey Lagano 10. Mark Martin We are onto Phoenix next Sunday...where Jeff Gordon broke his winnless streak at.

Well they have forty laps to go and I should get ready for bed...work comes early tomorrow morning. So I don't know if I'll have time to write a write up tonight...all I say is that I just saw something that I never saw before. Darrell Waltrip said the same thing. Under caution Juan Pablo Montoya was speeding up to catch up with the pack when his breaks broke and he shot up the track and hit the jet dryer! It went up in fire as did the track! So scary. Juan Pablo walked away, the driver of the truck was taken to the hospital for further observation. So scary! They had to life the truck off the track since the tires were melted to the track and it scraped up the surface real bad. Now they are under red flag...meaning the race is halted. If they do finish now, Dave Blaney would win and Landon Cassill would come in second...looks like this could take awhile. So relieved that everyone is OK...very scary accident. This race has had everything thrown at it. Rain and now fire...

Me too...was upset to see Johnson get hit and taken out then too. Sad for Danica as well.

Thank-you Roger. It was great listening to other Duke fans while standing in line. John made it worth the wait. Thanks...I can't smiling either.

Not that this will surprise anyone, but I'm watching Daytona too...even though my two favorite drivers are now out...Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Glad you are enjoying it.

Well they are racing, but am thinkin' that it would have been best if they raced this afternoon while I was at work...Jimmie Johnson was taken out on the second lap after Elliot Sadlet spun him around, ,he got hit hard...and now Jeff Gordon is out as well due to a blown engine... Guess now I am going for Jr...

Well I got some good news to share with y'all...well I hope at least. Could change... But the Daytona 500 has been delayed and rescheduled (again due to weather) to 7:02 PM EST on FOX...6:02 my time central time...in eighteen minutes!!!!! NO MORE RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!! RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY COME BACK ANOTHER DAY!!!!!!!!! NO MORE RAIN!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Hoss...had fun taking them. Tried taking a picture of him eating a hot dog, but he turned around to eat it. So no pic of him eating. But sorry, I didn't think of asking him of when he was going to Ireland...though did congratulate him on his granddaughter.

Well y'all I've got some HORRIBLE news for you...well to me it is horrible. Right now am very upset... For the first time ever Daytona 500 has been post poned. It will be raced at noon ET (11:00 my time...central) on FOX. So frustrated right now. I watched five hours of them talking to about everyone about anything, they started to make it sound like it was getting better. And then they post pone it! Wouldn't be half as bad if they would put the race at a time that most peoplel could at least watch the end of the race...but noon? (or eleven if you are like me) I get off at two thirty and I still won't be able to watch it. After ninety some days of counting down and waiting for it to come and this happens. Well y'all guess I'll be doing my race write up to what I read from online...

Well it has been rain delayed...but the good news is is that they have put the jet dryers out on the track. So hopefully it is about done raining...though Danica just said it is really raining now. :( RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY, DON'T COME BACK ANOTHER DAY!!!!

Pre-race show is on NOW on FOX...anyone else excited? Am hoping for a fun and safe race today and to see all four Hendrick boys in the top ten today...with JEFF GORDON coming home number 1. That is if it doesn't rain...RAIN RAIN GO AWAY COME BACK ANOTHER DAY! Am hoping the sun will start to shine on Daytona and on the drivers!!!!!!

Thanks Alex. I had a great time yesterday. Was great to have a chance to meet John as well as get my picture taken with him. Am so glad that he still does this and keeps the Dukes alive. Here is some more pictures from yesterday...a couple of John and a couple of The General Lee. Surprisingly they only had two General Lees...only one inside. Thanks everyone for your interest in my pictures.

Well y'all I am now back from from seeing John Schneider...Bo Duke himself. I was sooo glad that he made it to Iowa after his report of saying he was stuck in Minneappolis...though I think he just said that to worry me. Had a great day. Just went by way too fast! Anyway by the time we got there he had been there for like forty minutes so go figure we had to stand in line...for over two and a half hours. I am definately NOT complaining, it was time well spent talking to a friend and looking at the cars. (Sadly there was only two General Lees. And only one was inside for display...). Besides at Dukefest in '07 I stood in line for five and a half hours...by myself -well not exactly by myself since I was in line, but didn't know anyone or have anyone to talk to then... And both times, John made it worth the wait. He is such a nice person. I wore my '08 Duke fest shirt that I had ordered to me since I didn't go that year...it was under my Jeff Gordon coat which was unbuttoned. He noticed and pointed out and said that's from the '08 Dukefest. Got several pictures plus my picture taken with him. As for prices...it was forty dollars for a combined set (I bought two pics so I don't know how much he would have costed if I had him sign my shirt or my flyer I had thought of him signing.) An autograph alone was fifteen dollars and a pic alone was twenty-five dollars. I had him sign two pictures though and he didn't charge me any more for the second picture... Am still on cloud nine after today's meeting with John. I couldn't even remember whether or not he shook my hand or not...think he did. LOL. Here is a few of the pictures I had taken of John and one of the lone General inside the arena.

Well I haven't read or saw as of yet if John made it to Iowa or is still in Minneappolis, but since there is nothing saying otherwise on the events' page or Johns' page, I am going to assume that he is in Iowa...and will be there in TWO HOURS! Am sooo excited right now to meet my all time favorite character on the Dukes of Hazzard...again. Would love another hug from him, but just to see him would make my day...my weekend. I am now off to get ready to meet my friend to start heading up that way...I will let you know either tonight or tomorrow sometime whether or not he was there and how it went. Hoping to bring longs of pictures!

Exciting? I guess to some it could be exciting, but to me, it is worrisome. I guess what is to be, will be and I will have to make the best of it. All the same, am really hoping to see John tomorrow. Thanks for the well wishes and the crossed fingers. I am not giving up hope and until John says otherwise, I am going to see Bo Duke tomorrow afternoon. I will definately keep you posted on whether or not I will go...but hopefullly will be posting with pictures. And yeah...perhaps John could call in some of them happy endings he uses in the show for real life. Thanks Roger.

Thanks for the heads up about the money. That does seem like quite a bit...did get some money out, but looks like I might be needing some more... Ah well, sure it will be worth it. That is if I get to go... Just read on my Facebook page (through John's page) that he is currently stuck in Minneappolis - though wants to get to his peeps in Iowa. Well at least I am one of his peeps, but still will be highly disappointed if he gets snowed out. Bad enough we got all that yucky white stuff and now it is threatening something I've been excited about for awhile now. Though unless I hear otherwise, I still plan on going. Am refusing to give up hope about tomorrow. Will make sure to take as much pictures as possible and post the best ones of John. Thanks for the interest.