NASCAR news

[Garrett Duke]

Thanks as always for all the updates Garrett.

I don't follow NASCAR that much but I always read all your posts and thanks to you I'm a smarter person whenever the subject of NASCAR comes up. Your info comes in handy in conversations since I have a few friends here in Pennsylvania who are crazy about racing.

You are welcome Roger. I am glad my NASCAR updates come into use for you...you must have some pretty good friends if they are crazy about racing.

[Garrett Duke]

Well I got some more sad news for you all. Looks like Bobby Labonte will be missing this upcoming race after getting in a bicycle accident near his home where he will be spending the night in the hospital with three broken ribs.

Well y'all know how much I love NASCAR and talking about NASCAR, but this is getting out of hand with all the injuries in NASCAR. Of all the years I have watched NASCAR, I can't remember a season with so many drivers injured, missing races, or the amount of rumors going around of who is leaving what team and who is going to be driving for what team next season. . .

Guess it is giving me lots of opportunities to talk about NASCAR, of which I love, just wish I could come here spreading good news and not sad news...

[Garrett Duke]

Well y'all I got some more NASCAR news for you. One that I am happy and sad to report.

I am super excited that AJ Allmendinger has found a full time ride next few seasons driving for JTG Daughtery in the 47 car.

Sadly it is at the expense of Bobby Labonte who currently has that ride...though has been sharing the seat with AJ this past season. As posted above, this comes a day after Labonte was hospitalized after a bicycle accident left hif him with three broken ribs.

[Garrett Duke]

Well y'all I got some more NASCAR news for you. One that I am happy and sad to report.

I am super excited that AJ Allmendinger has found a full time ride next few seasons driving for JTG Daughtery in the 47 car.

Sadly it is at the expense of Bobby Labonte who currently has that ride...though has been sharing the seat with AJ this past season. As posted above, this comes a day after Labonte was hospitalized after a bicycle accident left hif him with three broken ribs.

I can't believe I didn't post this yesterday when I read it...I must have been in complete shock that it escaped me of posting about it here.

I do got some scary news regarding Jeff Gordon's merchandise bus. It was on I85 in Georgia when it caught fire. Luckily no one was hurt and it was carrying merchandise and not his cars and race gear. Still scary and still not good. I think Waylon Jennings said it best on one of the DOH charcters..."If Jeff Gordon and his team didn't have bad luck, they wouldn't have any luck at all." Waylon put Dukes there instead.

[HossC]

I thought I'd post a bigger picture as non-members can't view attachments. I found this one on autoblog.com. It looks like the trailer is safe (as are all the people aboard), so it's just the back of the bus that's damaged.

Coincidentally, the same thing happened to a bus carrying an English rugby team to a match last weekend. Again, there were no casualties, but it looks like a bigger fire:

[Garrett Duke]

Well I had a feeling that Martin Truex Jr. had gotten hurt in that horrible accident he was involved in last Saturday night at Bristol where Denny Hamlin got a flat and took out several Chase contender cars. The camera showed Martin Truex Jr (who seemed to get the hardest hit) when he hit the wall and afterwards he was holding his hand. He went back to the care center as is expected of drivers in wrecks and then the pit reporter had talked to him and asked him if he was OK. Martin had said he weas fine, just frustrated with the accident with the points and all that.

Had me a little relieved but skeptical just on how he was holding his hand after the accident.

And sadly my feeling was correct. They just came back that an MRI has shown Truex Jr has a fractured and sprained right wrist...will be racing with a special cast and is Ok to race this Sunday NIGHT. (YAY another night race! Sorry Hoss, know they are late for you...)

Also, Chip Ganassi will make an official announcement on Friday as to who will be replacing Juan Pablo Montoya in the 42 car next season...though it is already rumored that it is going to be Ganassi's rookie Nationwide driver, Kyle Larson, who is 21 years old.

But like I said earlier today...will keep you posted when all of that comes official Friday.

Well it looks like Martin Truex Jr is not the only driver to get hurt in the accident at Bristol last week...it is now being reported that Denny Hamlin's finger got stuck in the wheel and he couldn't get it out and that he sprained his hand. He too is still expected to race this Sunday night at Atlanta.

This is the second time this season that Denny has gotten hurt during a wreck during the race...

[HossC]

Well it looks like Martin Truex Jr is not the only driver to get hurt in the accident at Bristol last week...it is now being reported that Denny Hamlin's finger got stuck in the wheel and he couldn't get it out and that he sprained his hand. He too is still expected to race this Sunday night at Atlanta.

So that's what Darian Grubb meant when he told Denny to pull his finger out .

[Garrett Duke]

So that's what Darian Grubb meant when he told Denny to pull his finger out .

Can't recall hearing Darian say that...but by what Denny said it was stuck and he couldn't do it in time.

[Garrett Duke]

It is now official...Kyle Larson will be driving the 42 car start the 2014 season...will be interesting to see what he can do in the Cup Series.

[Garrett Duke]

Guess what y'all? Jimmie Johnson will be racing at Richmond tomorrow night!!!!!!!!!!!

Well before you go roll your eyes and say what else is new...Jimmie Johnson's wife was expecting their second child around the time the Chase start and had Ragen Smith (who races for Jr in the Nationwide Series) practice and get use to the 48 car in case their second child came during the weekend. (JJ has been locked in on points for the Chase for the past few weeks...so it wouldn't have been a big deal if he were to miss a race...for the Chase that is. It would be a big deal for ME!)

But not to worry! (In case anyone other than me was worried about this... ) Chandra gave birth to a daughter, Lydia Noriss Johnson, today. Making their three year old daughter, Genieveve Marie a big sister!

Ragen Smith will drive the 48 car today for practice and qualifying, but Johnson will be back behind the 48 wheel tomorrow for the Richmond race.

Ragen Smith for Practice and Qual, Johnson in for the race due to the birth of Johnson's daughter

(Well Hoss, tell me if I did this wrong with the picture...have no idea on how to do this!)

The picture in the article of Genevieve holding her little sister is so adorable...Genevieve looks so proud and happy of her little sister!

Congrats Jimmie, Chandra, and Genevieve Johnson!

[HossC]

(Well Hoss, tell me if I did this wrong with the picture...have no idea on how to do this!)

Is this the picture you were after?

I don't normally go to Instagram because I thought it was full of pictures of people's food . I think you tried posting the address of the page as an image. In Firefox I can right-click the image and select 'View Background Image', then use that address. In Chrome it's not so easy - right-clicking and selecting 'View Page Source' or 'Inspect Element' will reveal the name of the image if you can find it hidden in all the other info. NB. Normally it's easier to insert images - maybe there's an easier way to hotlink Instagram images (as I say, I don't use it).

[Garrett Duke]

Is this the picture you were after?

I don't normally go to Instagram because I thought it was full of pictures of people's food . I think you tried posting the address of the page as an image. In Firefox I can right-click the image and select 'View Background Image', then use that address. In Chrome it's not so easy - right-clicking and selecting 'View Page Source' or 'Inspect Element' will reveal the name of the image if you can find it hidden in all the other info. NB. Normally it's easier to insert images - maybe there's an easier way to hotlink Instagram images (as I say, I don't use it).

Yes that is the picture I was talking about! Thanks for posting it...I finally gave up on it. Thanks for coming to my rescue!

[Garrett Duke]

Well I posted about the Richmond race "incident" under my race reviews...though I should have posted them here. When I wrote it all out, didn't think it would become such a big deal...even though it is a big deal.

Just for recap: With seven laps to go, Clint Bowyer purposefully spun out in order to help his team mate Martin Truex Jr into the Chase while Brian Vickers' crew (Vickers is team member with Bowyer and Truex Jr) told him to pit despite him not needing to pit to give up an extra spot for Logano to ease into the Chase which would take Gordon out of the Chase. (Bowyer and Gordon have a history of not getting a long last year...after several times of Bowyer wrecking Gordon, and after getting wrecked while fifth or so with seven laps to go last November in Phoenix, Bowyer wrecked Gordon into the wall. Gordon go mad and finally retaliated and ran Bowyer into the wall in which Bowyer's crew attempted to attack Gordon and Bowyer ran after him - luckily Gordon's crew came to his rescue!)

Well on reviewing Bowyer's spin out and listened to his radio communication (Bowyer was told right before he spun out that Newman was winning the race (if Newman won the race, he'd be in the Chase, and Bowyer's teammate Truex Jr would be out)...and came back with one of the biggest punishments in the history of NASCAR. They have taken Truex Jr out of the Chase (who didn't know a thing about the spin or it being on purpose) and put Newman back in the Chase (ultimately trying to undo what Bowyer did with his spin out), docked Bowyer 50 championship points (but since the Chase starts this Sunday and the points get reset, doesn't affect Bowyer one bit), put their crew cheifs on probation til the end of the year...and fined Michael Waltrip $300,000. And as for Gordon, NASCAR calls him the ripple effect of the spin out. Saying they can't determine if he'd be in or out of the Chase due to the spin...so he is still outside of the Chase with 13 in points being the best he can accomplish this year. (Needless to say, this 24 fan is NOT HAPPY about NASCAR's decision or punishment..Bowyer should be the one out of the Chase. He's the one that did the spin, not Truex Jr. Though I am not the only one upset by this call...there is alot of Gordon fans on Facebook that are not happy with it...)

(Sorry if that is confusing...hopefully it sounds alright.)

And if that is not enough...this dark snowball that MICHAEL Waltrip started by calling this to happen and by Bowyer's spin out...just keeps getting bigger and bigger with each passing day this week. Now their sponsorships (NAPA, 5 Hour Energy Drink, and Aarons) are thinking of pulling their sponsorships of MWR and are reviewing the actions at Richmond.

And if that is not enough...David Gilliland's radio communication is now under inspection from NASCAR as he was told to let Logano past him with seven laps to go (after Bowyer's spin out) in order to help Logano into the Chase and which put Gordon out of the Chase. Which I doubt anything would change because of it...but there is a chance that more punishments will be handed out and another change in teh Chase.

It just disgusts me that drivers and teammates are going out of their way to cheat in order to get team mates into the Chase like this. Whatever happened to race to see who has the better equipment under them, who has the better talent? And I do appreciate NASCAR stepping in the way they did and doing something...but do feel like they are punishing the wrong guy here and letting the guy who did it, get away with nothing. And Gordon a ripple effect? I just read Michael Waltrip's statement where he admitted to calling Vickers in at the last minute to help a team mate...though Logano isn't a teammate so I don't understand that unless he thought him pitting would also help Truex Jr out.

Well in any count, I am proud with the fact that my driver, my team has more class and integrity than some of those out there that will stoop this low in order to help themselves or teammates get in the Chase...(That is my opinion of course. I have tried to keep my opinions here a minimum or on this topic so I apologize if I did express my opinion here...)

[RogerDuke]

Since I don't follow NASCAR like you do Garrett I didn't know abut all this. Well, I knew about the original incident but not the aftermath.

What a mess!

I have a feeling this story has a long ways to go before it comes to a conclusion.

I can certainly see why Jeff Gordon fans would be fired up.

I agree about Jeff Gordon being classy. I posted on a different thread about how impressed I was with his after-race interview.

Keep up posted!

[HossC]

... while Brian Vickers' crew told him to pit despite him not needing to pit to give up an extra spot for Logano to ease into the Chase ...

If Vickers was on the same team as Logano, then I'd say fair enough. After a few controversial races a few years back, team orders are now legal in F1, so a driver can be told to let his team mate past. You also get situations like last year's US Grand Prix where Felipe Massa outqualified his team mate, Fernando Alonso, and Ferrari chose to break the seal on Massa's gearbox to give him a grid penalty, promote Alonso one grid spot and put him on the clean side of the track. I'm not saying I'm happy about this happening, but it's within the rules. I can't see any of the F1 teams helping out a rival team (apart from Toro Rosso possibly helping Red Bull as they have the same owner).

I get the feeling that this isn't over yet.

[Garrett Duke]

If Vickers was on the same team as Logano, then I'd say fair enough. After a few controversial races a few years back, team orders are now legal in F1, so a driver can be told to let his team mate past. You also get situations like last year's US Grand Prix where Felipe Massa outqualified his team mate, Fernando Alonso, and Ferrari chose to break the seal on Massa's gearbox to give him a grid penalty, promote Alonso one grid spot and put him on the clean side of the track. I'm not saying I'm happy about this happening, but it's within the rules. I can't see any of the F1 teams helping out a rival team (apart from Toro Rosso possibly helping Red Bull as they have the same owner).

I get the feeling that this isn't over yet.

There are team orders in NASCAR and I understand to lead a lap or two to help in points...but to help take someone out of the Chase and someone in? That is what I have a problem with. Logano as far as I know, the only teammate he has now is Brad Keselowski. At Hendrick (Gordon, Johnson, Jr, and Kahne's team) there is no team orders...which I like.

I agree...I have a feeling that all of this is long from over.

Roger - will be glad to keep you updated on all of this. I do believe we hav yet to see the conclusion to all this to play out...we got ten races to see what will come of this. Just sad it has to be this way. That is this way. And yeah, if you don't read up on NASCAR or follow them on Facebook it would be easy to overlook the seriousness of all of this...it just a huge mess.

I liked your comment on Gordon's comments being classy. He seems to be a very classy guy and even through all of this as well as in life. Feel incredibly bad for his team to work so hard and as I have read in articles, had done everything right Saturday night...and yet still get robbed of the Chase.

Here is an article I just read on Gordon's reaction towards it all...very good article on just how classy Jeff Gordon is:

Jeff Gordon says MWR stepped over code of conduct line

Edited September 12, 2013 by Garrett Duke

[Garrett Duke]

Joey Logano is still in the Chase after NASCAR's investigation...don't know if NASCAR did anything or not about Gilliland's part on helping him in the Chase.

[RogerDuke]

Wow! This is tough. I hate to do this Garrett but I'm trying to think like Clint Bowyer would think in that situation but it's too hard to do when we don't have all the facts. Is it morally wrong to spin out intentionally to help a teammate or was he just doing what is acceptable in sports by "taking one for the team?" I would vote for it being morally wrong.

But what if he was told to do it by the team owner? What if the owner said he'd rip up his contract if he doesn't spin out? What if Bowyer's house payment was $100,000 a month and he knew he would never get another job racing because the owner would brand him as a person who is not a team player?

I'm certainly not throwing this idea out there to justify why he did. It would still be just as despicable even if he was following orders. I'm only trying to understand it. If the order did come from the team owner, would all owners have done that if in that situation?

And the same questions would apply to David Gilliland letting the pass happen. What would have happened to him if he wouldn't have followed orders?

Just to repeat myself, I'm not trying to justify it. I'm trying to understand.

[HossC]

Wow! This is tough. I hate to do this Garrett but I'm trying to think like Clint Bowyer would think in that situation but it's too hard to do when we don't have all the facts. Is it morally wrong to spin out intentionally to help a teammate or was he just doing what is acceptable in sports by "taking one for the team?" I would vote for it being morally wrong.

But what if he was told to do it by the team owner? What if the owner said he'd rip up his contract if he doesn't spin out? What if Bowyer's house payment was $100,000 a month and he knew he would never get another job racing because the owner would brand him as a person who is not a team player?

I'm certainly not throwing this idea out there to justify why he did. It would still be just as despicable even if he was following orders. I'm only trying to understand it. If the order did come from the team owner, would all owners have done that if in that situation?

And the same questions would apply to David Gilliland letting the pass happen. What would have happened to him if he wouldn't have followed orders?

Just to repeat myself, I'm not trying to justify it. I'm trying to understand.

Are you suggesting that the drivers use the Nuremberg Defense, ie. the "we were only following orders" defense that many Nazis adopted in the post-WWII war crimes trials? As far as I'm concerned, it's OK to let your team mate past or make it difficult for a rival to pass, but not to intentionally spin-out to affect a race outcome. BTW. Are there no houses available in the US at less than $100,000 a month?

[Garrett Duke]

Well Roger I salute you for trying to see the enemy's ...*cough* *cough*...I mean Clint Bowyer's point of view in all of this. There may have been some team order in all of this. I know Michael Waltrip got fined $300,000 for the orders he sent out...but that could be for his call to bring Vickers into pits when he had no need for pits just so Penske driver, Joey Logano can get into the Chase. Though the drivers have contracts and if they are like the ones in MLB and NFL...it would be hard to just rip it up just because he didn't illegally spin out when told to.

As for Logano and Gilliland...I have read or seen in different places that Logano's team owner, Roger Penske, may have made a deal with Furniture Row Racing...who Gilliand races for for that move to happen.

It just saddens me that people will stoop so low as to manipulate the Chase as they had done at Richmond and it disappoints me that NASCAR only partially addressed the problem. Whether it was Gordon or not who was affected by all this...which it is Gordon...I would think that Bowyer is not deserving to be in the Chase...not if he is going to drive like that. And if Michael Waltrip had ordered the spin, he too should be on the outside looking in. Perhaps away from the track for the rest of the season. NASCAR needs to set an example to stop this from happening next year or next week or whenever. As it is Bowyer didn't get punished at all...and he is the one who has done the act. Just sad...all the way around. There are Jeff Gordon fans ready to give up on NASCAR completely. I am not one of those...I am too big of a NASCAR fan. But still upsets me!

Though on other Michael Waltrip news...they are getting to know what the ripple effect has to do with them too...seeing as how all three major sponsors...5 hour Energy Drink, NAPA, and Aarons are now investigating the incident and are thinking of pulling out of Michael Waltrip Racing. What ya know...sposnors don't seem to want to sponor known cheaters. (Sorry...that wasn't too nice, but am proud to see people and companies that are willing to care about what is right and what is wrong. )

Though...have heard something on Facebook just now. I don't want to get my hopes up...but in one of my Jeff Gordon groups that I am in, one of the members or owner has just posted that according to Fox Sports 1 Jeff Gordon has just been added to the Chase. I haven't see that anywhere else so right now I don't know what to believe. Know what I want to believe...will let you know when it becomes official.

[HossC]

Though...have heard something on Facebook just now. I don't want to get my hopes up...but in one of my Jeff Gordon groups that I am in, one of the members or owner has just posted that according to Fox Sports 1 Jeff Gordon has just been added to the Chase. I haven't see that anywhere else so right now I don't know what to believe. Know what I want to believe...will let you know when it becomes official.

News has just been confirmed on USA Today's website - see the article here. Doesn't look like anyone's told NASCAR.com yet!

[HossC]

OK, so NASCAR.com now has the news too. See the article here:

Gordon added to Chase as 13th driver

[Garrett Duke]

Well Roger I salute you for trying to see the enemy's ...*cough* *cough*...I mean Clint Bowyer's point of view in all of this. There may have been some team order in all of this. I know Michael Waltrip got fined $300,000 for the orders he sent out...but that could be for his call to bring Vickers into pits when he had no need for pits just so Penske driver, Joey Logano can get into the Chase. Though the drivers have contracts and if they are like the ones in MLB and NFL...it would be hard to just rip it up just because he didn't illegally spin out when told to.

As for Logano and Gilliland...I have read or seen in different places that Logano's team owner, Roger Penske, may have made a deal with Furniture Row Racing...who Gilliand races for for that move to happen.

It just saddens me that people will stoop so low as to manipulate the Chase as they had done at Richmond and it disappoints me that NASCAR only partially addressed the problem. Whether it was Gordon or not who was affected by all this...which it is Gordon...I would think that Bowyer is not deserving to be in the Chase...not if he is going to drive like that. And if Michael Waltrip had ordered the spin, he too should be on the outside looking in. Perhaps away from the track for the rest of the season. NASCAR needs to set an example to stop this from happening next year or next week or whenever. As it is Bowyer didn't get punished at all...and he is the one who has done the act. Just sad...all the way around. There are Jeff Gordon fans ready to give up on NASCAR completely. I am not one of those...I am too big of a NASCAR fan. But still upsets me!

Though on other Michael Waltrip news...they are getting to know what the ripple effect has to do with them too...seeing as how all three major sponsors...5 hour Energy Drink, NAPA, and Aarons are now investigating the incident and are thinking of pulling out of Michael Waltrip Racing. What ya know...sposnors don't seem to want to sponor known cheaters. (Sorry...that wasn't too nice, but am proud to see people and companies that are willing to care about what is right and what is wrong. )

Though...have heard something on Facebook just now. I don't want to get my hopes up...but in one of my Jeff Gordon groups that I am in, one of the members or owner has just posted that according to Fox Sports 1 Jeff Gordon has just been added to the Chase. I haven't see that anywhere else so right now I don't know what to believe. Know what I want to believe...will let you know when it becomes official.

Well y'all...I have just received the best news ever and after the past several days spent worrying and being upset over Gordon being robbed of the Chase by how others have manipulated their way into the Chase...I am beyond excited! JEFF GORDON IS NOW IN THE CHASE!!!!!!!! As I posted above they had a press conference on Fox Sports One and due to not having cable at the moment and missing it online, I didn't know about it til now when Jeff Gordon announced on Facebook that he has just gained 1250 points into the Chase...and Yahoo has just added an article on it. So now it is OFFICIAL!

So instead of having twelve cars in the Chase as has been the case for the past several years, there wil be thirteen cars in the 2013 Chase. Still think they should have taken Bowyer out of the Chase, but it is what it is...and hope we can Richmond behind us. I am very proud of NASCAR for finally stepping up and facing the entire issue and not part of the issue. . .and considering Jeff Gordon just a ripple effect as they had earlier this week.

Though it would be interesting to know just how much Gordon's fans had an impact on NASCAR's decision in all of this. There was a petition going around Facebook for fans to sign asking NASCAR to put Gordon in (do believe pulling Bowyer out MAY have been part of it too...) as well as people sending NASCAR's main phone number around Facebook asking people to call in support of Jeff Gordon. Sadly I wasn't one of the 10,000 signatures or called...too chicken to call (plus didn't know how good it would work...) and didnt' sign the petition due to them asking for my street address.

We may never know that and at the moment, it doesn't matter. What matters is that Jeff Gordon is where he deserves to be...IN THE CHASE!

JEFF GORDON IS THE 13TH DRIVER IN THE CHASE!

[HossC]

Garrett, I hope you don't suffer from triskaidekaphobia. With Gordon being made the 13th Chase driver on Friday the 13th, maybe 13 will be your new lucky number .

[Garrett Duke]

Garrett, I hope you don't suffer from triskaidekaphobia. With Gordon being made the 13th Chase driver on Friday the 13th, maybe 13 will be your new lucky number .

LOL. Darrell Waltrip just wrote that he was suspicious of the word triskaidekaphobia and was wondering what he meant...thanks to you, I now know what he means.

But don't think I have that today...today the number 13 seems to be one of the best numbers (besides 24 and 01). Jeff Gordon is the 13th driver in the 2013 Chase on September 13th. Yep...must be a GREAT number!