Nascar

[Guest SleepysRose]

Thanks for the NASCAR standins update Garrett. GO MARK MARTIN!!

Good questions Roger!

In penalized for passing on the apron, it would probably intail a drive through penalty which is where the driver is forced to drive through pit road at pit road speed before going back on the track - in other words they'll be put back quite a ways in the order. Or be held for a lap to be a lap down. I remember a race a year or two ago where a rookie was shoved down there at the end of the race (don't know if it was talledega, but it was a ristrictor plate race) and passed for the lead right at the checkered flag - meaning he'd normally get the win. But since he passed under the double lines on the apron he was robbed of the win and Tony Stewart (I think) who was behind him and may have been the one to shove him down, ended up with the win.

Which if they are caught speeding on pit road, they are forced to do a drive through penalty that puts them at the end of the longest line or around there.

Also talking about penalizing - both Marcos Ambros (Car number 47) and Max Papis (part time driver) were penalized last Tuesday after post race inspection (as well as their crew cheifs) for their car being too heavy. It was like 50 points and seventy-five thousand dollars. Something like that. I think the driver got the points taken away and the crew cheifs had to pay - something like that. NASCAR is real finicky with this COT (Car of Tomorrow...or rather it is now Car of Today - the car they are now driving in other words. LOL) and if they do anything little wrong with it, there is that sort of a fine it seems. Feel bad for Ambros and Papis...they're having a rough time as it is not alone for NASCAR to be taking points away from them.

OK for the points now... Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kennseth, Greg Biffle are the top three drivers in points right now. Kevin Harvick is fourth with Jeff Gordon in fifth, Kyle Busch, Dale Jr, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Lagano is twelveth. That is the top twelve in driver points which is where everyone wants to be with ten races left of the season. LOL. Though I am sure with Talledega on Sunday - that sure mix it up a bit, though JJ is a head by a hundred and eight points right now, so it'll take a bit for someone to be able to steal the lead away from him. (Give Gordon a few races, I'm hopin he'll be able to do so. HA HA - That's my own personal opinion of course )

[texasdaisy09]

Thanks for all the info Garrett!

[Garrett Duke]

You are very welcome, SleepysRose. NASCAR is one of the few things I know about and really enjoy watching and talking about. (If you can't tell ) Once I start talking about it, though, I can't stop. I am just glad to have a place to talk about it with other fans and actually be able to help answer their questions...normally it is I that has all the questions and no answers. LOL.

Ah a Mark Martin fan. Bet you were disappointed last week with Kasey Kahne's signing with Hendrick in Martin's car. I hope that Mark Martin will find another ride for 2012 - sounds like he kinda knows what he'll do. It will be interesting to see what will happen next year and all that with Kahne and Martin. Sad to see Martin leaving Hendrick Motorsports, he brings a lot of talent and personality to their team, but do understand Hendrick's view and reasoning behind it. Kasey will be a great addition to the team, I do like Kasey, it is just sad to see Martin leaving.

For your sake, I hope Martin will have a great race in Talledega.

GO Jeff GORDON GO!!!!!!!!!

[Garrett Duke]

Thanks for all the info Garrett!

You are very welcome Texas Daisy! Hope you get to enjoy the Talledega race on Sunday.

[Garrett Duke]

Looks like today's Nationwide Series race at Talledega has gotten called off due to rain...as well as the Sprint Cup's qualifying (everything has been postponed at the track today due to rain.) Meaning that the Sprint Cup race tomorrow (weather permitting...fingers crossed) the drivers will line up in the order of driver points. Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kennseth, Greg Biffle will be the top three drivers for the race. The Nationwide Series race will be held after the Sprint Cup Talledega race (I think). Dang weather...I am highly hoping for a nice sunny day in Talledega tomorrow - I don't want to miss another race due to the rain at the track! Especially Talledega - a very fast pace and exciting race!

[RogerDuke]

Rain sure has been a problem with NASCAR this year. Oh well, considering recent droughts in the south, I'm sure not everybody is complaining. We've had a pretty dry spring here in northwest Pennsylvania though.

[Garrett Duke]

NASCAR seems like it has a lot of bad luck when it comes to rain - dang it's frustrating! Well, a lot of people in the south may not be complaining and may be enjoying a little rain down there, but dang it, I'm complaining. LOL Couldn't it rain during the week in the south? Maybe like Monday and Tuesdays or something like that...work out well with me. HA HA.

It's been a pretty dry spring here in Iowa as well. Of course, I say that now, but it is currently raining here as it has been off and on this afternoon. It can rain all it wants here...just not in Talledega. LOL I want to see my race tomorrow!

[Guest SleepysRose]

Disappointed?? Nah....Takes alot more to get me upset Garrett. I just stand behind Mark no matter what and that's that. LOL at your Jeff Gordon cheer there. ~shakes her head smiling at you~ Each to their own buddy, each to their own.

[Garrett Duke]

When I said disappointed I was talking about Mark Martin getting out of driving the number five car after next year...kinda leaving his future kinda sketchy as to what he will be doing. Though he does claim that he will be racing, so that is good. Though am glad to hear I didn't upset ya.

Well I guess I can say the same about your cheer for Mark Martin. . . I take it you are not a fan of the number twenty-four car- Jeff Gordon? Don't see why not...LOL Though I am with you...I'll be a Jeff Gordon fan and follow/support him no matter what or what anyone says. It'll be a sad day for me when he retires...hopefully that will be YEARS away. LOL. Guess that is what is great about NASCAR, there is so many drivers out there and everyone has their right to chose and to root for whichever one you want or like. As for me, I'll always be a Jeff Gordon fan...if you can't tell. LOL. GO 24 GO!

[Guest SleepysRose]

From what I have heard He is running the Car dealership I mentioned and he was wanting to get his dad's Trucking business back up and going again. If I remember correctly his sister owns the company now. So this is just what I heard. Word travels fast in a small town as they always said on the show. And Batesville is small and the second oldest town in Arkansas as well.

[Guest SleepysRose]

Garrett I will always cheer for Mark even when he isn't driving. LOL Once a fan you're a fan for life as my family always put it. So Until I see a driver that catches my attention I will always be a fan for life of those old time NASCAR veterans I grew up watching.

[Garrett Duke]

I'm sure it does. I have to admire Martin and how he is dealing with this whole situation between Hendrick and Kahne. I think I'd have a hard time driving and working hard knowing that my ride was going to someone else in a year and a half. I have a lot of respect for Martin as does a lot of the other guys out there it sounds like. Sounds like he even talked to Kahne and all that. I am a big fan of Hendrick Motorsports, thanks to Gordon, so it is sad to see Martin leaving, but it will be good to see Kahne stepping in to take his place as well.

[Garrett Duke]

Garrett I will always cheer for Mark even when he isn't driving. LOL Once a fan you're a fan for life as my family always put it. So Until I see a driver that catches my attention I will always be a fan for life of those old time NASCAR veterans I grew up watching.

I'm definately not arguing with you...I'm the same way, except for Jeff Gordon. LOL. Though I didn't get into NASCAR until twelve years ago or so, so I really didn't watch the veteran drivers such as Petty, Yorobough, or Allisons. Though have heard a lot about them and would have liked to see them race. Though give it a few years from now...I'll be the same way with Gordon, Johnson, and Jr (though still think it'll be a sad day when they're no longer racing... ) LOL.

[Guest SleepysRose]

We all will when they stop racing period. Just to see what you know here. Tell me what brought about the formation of the NASCAR circuit and how did it originally get started. Just checking to see what you know here because I already know this one.

[Garrett Duke]

Well am not a hundred percent on what brought the formation of the NASCAR circuit together, but I am assuming it has something to do with moonshine running. Know a lot of them was into that way back then. As I said, most of my NASCAR knowledge comes from current NASCAR - though I should get more into the past and the history of it. I know some of it, just not a lot.

Well weather permitting, Talledega should be starting in a couple of hours. Hopefully they all will have a fun and safe race today.

[Guest SleepysRose]

You are right Garrett. Very good! In fact if you want more on the history and formation of NASCAR fo here. The "Flock Brothers" as they were known were drivers who run moonshine and drove cars in NASCAR. But these pages should explain how it was formed and such for you. Hope this helps add to your knowledge. It was founded by the France family who stil run it today. It's History goes all the way back to the 1700s to be exact.

http://www.decadesofracing.net/TheBeginning.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASCAR

http://www.autoevolution.com/sport/nascar/history/ - this will give more on the rumrunners as they were called.

http://www.winnerslane.com/home/history-of-nascar - this will explain the link to the 1700s

[Garrett Duke]

Thanks for the info SleepysRose. I'll have to check them out.

[Garrett Duke]

Well the Talledega race just got over...guess we can all sit back and take a deep breath now. Huh? LOL. What an exciting finish there at the end...I think Jeff Hammond said that Harvick won it by 12 1000 of a second or something like that. All I know is, it was CLOSE! LOL. I was hoping for McMurray to win it, but going 115 races without a win is a long time, so I guess it was good for Harvick to win it.

Other than that, that I would chalk this up as one of the worst races of the season and am glad to have it done and over with. LOL...sorry, just how I feel right now. Was OK with it. Gordon stuck in middle pack all day for the most part and then with six laps to go Jeff Burton gets into Bobby Labonte and runs right into Gordon to tear his car apart. I guess Gordon is the lucky one. He was able to go back out there and finish on the lead lap. I think he came out twenty - second.

If that wasn't bad enough, on the next double file restart, Johnson has a little miscue with his spotter and goes up early to get run in from behind by Greg Biffle and runs into the inside wall, hard. Which took him out of the race completely! Which makes me feel a little better for Gordon since he did finish on the lead lap...but still, my top two drivers get wrecked right there at the end! Such a disappointing finish for me...All this is of my opinion of course which is clouded by the fact my drivers wrecked.

Here is the top eleven that finished the race after Talledega:

1 Kevin Harvick

2 Jamie McMurray

3 Juan Montoya

4 Denny Hamlin

5 Mark Martin

6 David Ragan

7 Clint Bowyer

8 Kurt Busch

9 Kyle Busch

10 Mike Bliss

11 Carl Edwards

[Garrett Duke]

As for points...here is the unofficial points after the Sprint Cup race. Points will become official tomorrow after post race inspections and all that - so they could change. (The top twelve)

1 -- Jimmie Johnson

2 +2 Kevin Harvick

3 -- Greg Biffle

4 -2 Matt Kenseth

5 +1 Kyle Busch

6 +4 Mark Martin

7 +2 Kurt Busch

8 -1 Dale Earnhardt Jr.

9 +2 Denny Hamlin

10 -5 Jeff Gordon

11 +3 Clint Bowyer

12 -4 Jeff Burton

Hope y'all's favorite driver had a better week/race than mine seemed to have.

[Guest SleepysRose]

LOL @ you Garrett. Heck look where Mark Martin was and I sure ain't fussing like you now. ~lol~ You guys seem to get all up in a wad when your racers don't win. ~lol~

[Garrett Duke]

LOL @ you Garrett. Heck look where Mark Martin was and I sure ain't fussing like you now. ~lol~ You guys seem to get all up in a wad when your racers don't win. ~lol~

I'm sorry, but I don't see what is so funny...though I'm glad for you that you supposedly find it amusing. I'd be happy if Gordon finished fifth where Mark Martin finished...much better than his twenty-second finish.

[Guest SleepysRose]

I was laughing at how all stressed out you got during the race and now you can relax. That was what I was laughing at Garrett. My dad always got like that when we watched the races. I won't argue with you on Jeff Gordon could have done better. I am actually surprised Martin did that good. So I was caught off guard by that. I thought Jeff Gordon would have been there and Martin where he was. Honest. lol Hey you can't say I was routing for him now. ~lol~ I was just not expecting him to be there is all.

[Garrett Duke]

Well...I guess you're right. I can relax now. LOL. What is done, is done. It was Talledega and stuff like that could happen to anyone, which is probably what makes it so exciting. It also makes it so that anyone can win and so forth - so unpredictable. I do tend to get way into the race and how Gordon does and so forth. That's just how I am I guess. Martin did pretty well, which is good for him. As I said, I'd be happy with fifth. Heck I'd be happy with a top ten or fifteen at Talledega. As I said, Talledega is unpredictable...just was frustrated/disappointed with the ending few laps of it when I posted my race summary.

[Guest SleepysRose]

Daytona is another track that is unpredictable as well.

[RogerDuke]

LOL

Folks sure are passionate about racing.

Listening to you two bicker brings back some pretty good memories for me. When I was around 10 years old my grandparents used to take us to the local dirt track.

My grandparents were Chevy folks but my dad was a Ford man (he's now in his 70's and to this day has never owned anything but Fords)

Me and my brother would always root for the Fords and my grandparents would pull for the Chevys. My grandmother was always real loud yelling for the Chevys. We always used to tell her she was embarressing us but that didn't seem to quiet her down.

I miss ya grandma and grandad. Thanks for all the good memories.