So, Awesome Bill Then Says…

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.

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We don’t need no stinkin’ provisional!

No Bill, you sure don’t.

Also, don’t let your eyes deceive you. That really is the 55 in the lineup, and the spot wasn’t purchased.

And finally we come to a familiar face, and the ol’ Rocket guy did it again to make it 2 in a row, and third of the season.

4 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Bill Davis Racing #22, Bill Elliott, Dover, Drivers, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Tracks, Wood Brothers #21





Trackback URL for: So, Awesome Bill Then Says…

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Monday June 4, 2007
10:27am CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

A few quick notes for Dover.

1. Mandatory caution at lap 25 for tires.
2. Mandatory caution at lap 60 for tires.

If there is a caution between laps 25 and 60, then NASCAR will close pit road and make a decision (assuming to be based on length of laps run) about whether or not to allow that caution to replace the lap 60 caution.

Rain looks to be headed out, so it’s about time to pop open a beverage of choice, and get ready to check out the show.

Oh, the reason for the cautions? Tire wear. With the Trucks running a race and somehow failing to lay down some rubber, then the Busch series wearing out rear tires in 20 laps or so and not laying down rubber, coupled with the rain yesterday, all makes for a racetrack that’s greener than the fields surrounding my place.

That being the case, tires and their wear are a big concern amongst teams and NASCAR as well. So much so that they feel the need for two cautions to check tires instead of the “usual” one caution as in the past.

We’ll see what happens in a little over an hour.

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Dover, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Tracks





Trackback URL for: Dover Notes: Mandatory Cautions

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Monday June 11, 2007
10:17am CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

You can almost hear Bulldog make the cries as if he thought someone swiped his (soon to be Oklahoma City) Sonics tickets.

You know it’s going to be said, so I’ll say it for them so we can all have a good laugh.

That being, that you know some idiot out there is going to say NASCAR conspired to hand Gordon the rain shortened win at Pocono yesterday. Give me a frickin break. Can people really be that out of touch with reality out there?

Yes, they can. Ever read the “reader” letters sent in to Scene Daily that they post on their blog from time to time? Point proven.

So great. We’ve had the unfortunate passing of the Pioneer of NASCAR, and now NASCAR will be pegged for having an inside with God and conspiring to produce (or try to produce) certain outcomes that they see fit.

Yes, there really are people out there that will say it. Sad, isn’t it?

Right place, right time, and an experiment early in the race to see how the car would run in clean air. It paid off, but was definitely a “Hero or Zero” call by Steve Letarte. Fortunately this season he’s been a hero far more times than the other alternative. Sometimes, it’s just your year.

Hell, we should be thankful for the rain added drama. Else we would have been treated to another choo-choo show at Pocono. Seriously, 500 miles there is mostly flat out boring, and doing it twice within a month isn’t helping. Granted, I wouldn’t trade a show at Pocono for Kentucky, but I sure wouldn’t mind one of them being replaced with Iowa.

And Kurt? That’s coming up later on today.

Join the discussion.

Filed Under: Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #24, Jeff Gordon, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Pocono, Teams, Tracks





Trackback URL for: This Stinks! This Is Total B.S.

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Tuesday June 12, 2007
10:30am CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Yes, it was.

I’ve put a lot of thought into this, and I think it was too much. I’ve reviewed the “footage” a couple dozen times, and this is my conclusion.

It wasn’t the right action for Kurt Busch to take. The pits aren’t the place to use cars as tools in a heated discussion. I’m not disputing that.

However, I do believe it’s being blown out of proportion just a tick too much and I think it’s because of the driver involved.

Kurt didn’t come screaming down pit road, nor did he at any time try to smash into one Mr. Flip Flop (aka: Tony Stewart for those of you new to the Lounge). He simply pulled up beside him to “express” his dissatisfaction. What the issue seems to be was Flippy’s crew member freaking out and hopping onto the hood of that orange machine. A little dramatic, considering when he jumped it was evident that Kurt wasn’t there to play bumper cars. All he had to do was simple stop from coming around the front and wait. Not necessarily his fault, it all happened so fast he did what he thought necessary.

In response, NASCAR came up to the #2 Crew while they were preparing to fix the damage and told them to load it up on the trailer and that their day was done. No problem there, it was appropriate and cost the team a lot of points. The most possible at the time.

In addition to this, last Friday Kurt was fined $100,000, docked 100 points, placed on probation until December 31^st, and Roger lost 100 Owners points.

I’m kosher with all of that except Roger’s points. Why? Well, the Owners points affect the Owner and the team. Neither of which had a single thing to do with Kurt’s decision to pull up next to Stewie. Why should they be punished? They shouldn’t.

What a lot of folks were calling for was, in addition to the above, for Kurt to be parked for Pocono. Read as: Suspended Harvick style. I disagree. He already was effectively sat out right after the incident. They got their point across when Kurt knew he could be out there racing, yet wasn’t part of the remaining roar of some 33,000 HP waging battle against The Monster Mile.

NASCAR reviewed all the footage, and made the right call with the exception of the Owners points.

Now, on the horizon, we face an even bigger problem as a sport. This would be a recent revelation on Sirius. One such revelation that has to do with Indy, and one that poses a far bigger threat than pulling up next to someone in the pits.

More on this after bit.

2 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Dover, Drivers, Kurt Busch, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Penske Racing #2, Teams, Tracks





Trackback URL for: Busch Penalty Was Unjust

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Tuesday June 12, 2007
6:43pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

If you feel Marty Smith, aka MartDawg, is a reliable source of information, than tomorrow at JR Motorsports at 11am EDT you’ll hear one Mr. Dale Earnhardt Junior announce to the world that he will be driving for none other than Hendrick Motorsports come 2008. Or maybe we should say that if you believe Marty’s sources are reliable. Well, this ain’t no “DilnerGate”.

Oh my… The horror, the torture you say. Heh, what-ever.

I think it’s cool. You thought Hendrick was already stinkin’ up the show? If Marty is indeed correct, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Talk about a Superstar lineup. Gordon, Johnson, Junior. Not to mention that Casey Mears will come into his own. He’ll get there.

What? Kyle? His contract does go through 2008! Well, at least apparently it did go through 2008. His “people”, namely his attorney, couldn’t comment.

Remember the little scenario game we played out a few weeks ago? Where we mentioned all kinds of possibilities? This was one of them, although admittedly I didn’t personally think it was a realistic one at the time.

If this proves to be true, Junior deserves the utmost respect for delivering on his promise to not only inform the public and his fans as soon as he knew something, but also for getting the job done ahead of schedule.

If this proves to be true, I think it’s cool. Junior will finally have the equipment he’s wanted for so long, and we’ll be able to see what he can do with it.

I guess whatever happens, happens. We’ll know all the details tomorrow morning folks.

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Dale Earnhardt Inc #8, Dale Earnhardt Junior, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Teams





Trackback URL for: How Reliable Is Marty Smith?

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Tuesday June 12, 2007
8:47pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Anybody care to draw a quick conclusion from the title?

OK, times up. If you caught coverage on Sirius, you’re a step ahead of the game. Going back to something I wrote about last summer, unfortunately Germain Racing is still being duped.

You know, I thought that maybe, just maybe it would go away. And perhaps that just maybe a Truck Championship would right the ship. Unfortunately for the Nextel Cup garage, and watch out in the Busch garage too, this isn’t the case. It isn’t as strong of a plan as it was made out to be last summer, but it’s still somewhat going through.

Bearing an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Clean, minus being so “buff” and instead being “fluff”, Todd Bodine is planning on taking Germain Racing into some Busch events, and a few Cup events as well this season. Their first planned Cup attempt with be at the sacred Brickyard.

It’s a rare occasion where I truly dislike a driver, and would prefer them to be watching from the couch. Poking fun at Stewie aside, and it is fun, I still want him on the track. In this case, I would prefer Bodine were nowhere near the track.

It’s also a very, very, very rare occasion that I’m thankful for the Top 35 rule. Come Indy, I’ll be singing its praises full bore. With it in place, it makes it unlikely that Todd will contribute to that damn yellow hanky coming out. And you know full well if he makes the event he’s going to dump someone. At a place like Indy, where the turns are short and sharp and the speeds are high, it is a disaster in the making.

At least there are SAFER barriers now, but that won’t fix all the torn up cars that will result from this asshat making the field.

Need proof? Really? Sure, just look at his past history. It speaks for itself.

Heck, just look back at last Friday night at Texas. Amidst the real party that is the Thunder Lounge, some asshat that looks like Mr Clean took out the leader to go on to Victory Lane. No payback, not in retaliation. Simple because he ran out of talent. Yet another tribute to why nobody will give him a ride in a Cup car.

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Damn Good Points, Indianapolis, Nascar, Nextel Cup, The Soapbox, Tracks





Trackback URL for: Safeguard Those Sacred Bricks

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday June 13, 2007
1:47pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Can anybody tell I’m an avid Counter Strike fan?

How better to put the fact that Marty Smith was spot on, and indeed Dale Earnhardt Jr will indeed be in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for 2008?

This lineup brings comparable lineups of superstars to mind. The Yankees; Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman; Aikman, Smith, and Irvin; the list can go on and on.

The deal is done, Kyle Busch and Hendrick came to a mutual agreement to part ways, and for some people their world just started to take a lovely ride in a hand basket. Well, isn’t that special.

Who literally would have thought this would be the outcome? Pretty darn slick on Rick Hendrick’s part, I must say. Even a week or so ago he was saying his stable was full for 2008. Well, technically, it was. The fact that the lineup change was being worked out doesn’t change the fact that the stable is full. So it wasn’t necessarily untrue, now was it?

Excellent play, really. All the while the attention is focused on RCR or Ginn, here Rick was making the words of a very much missed son ring true. And with a chuckle, Rick reflected back on the day Ricky said he was going to try and sign Junior, and that someday Junior would drive for Rick Hendrick. Funny how that all works out.

There is no doubt Hendrick is the team in NASCAR right now. But, while Junior admitted it was enticing (well, DUH!), he said it was for personal reasons that he chose to sign with Hendrick Motorsports. Granted, the whole domination and kicking everybody’s butts right now was an added bonus.

Junior said from the start that it was the relationships that he was after, as well as the ability to be competitive for the Championship. He again said today that what attracted him to Hendrick was exactly that. The way Rick treats his people, his drivers, and everyone else in the world. It was exactly what Dale Jr was looking for, and when the door opened he walked right in.

There isn’t any news about the actual car number he’ll run. Several possibilities exist.

They are:

• 1. Drives the #5 (8-3 = 5, right?)
• 2. Mears to the #5, Junior to the #25 (A number switch only, not a team switch)
• 3. Kyle Busch signs with DEI, and basically they swap numbers.

Let’s look at the third possibility, as the rest are self-explanatory.

Would it be possible for not only the numbers to switch, but the sponsors as well?

I don’t know, but it might not be out of the question. Both cars will be in the Top 35 when the checkers fly at Homestead, so that really isn’t an issue. It might be if it’s limited to say the Top 15 next season, but if the deal is done it’s done. It could be that only the number changes, and there is no exchange of owners points at all. That would be the likely case, and wherever it falls it falls.

The only sticking point would be Kyle Busch signing with DEI, but yesterday Max Siegel did say that if Kyle was available then he would be very interested in talking to him. Could they work out a deal to Move Kellogg’s to DEI? Maybe. Then again, a little Budweiser on some Frosted Flakes or Rice Krispies isn’t a bad thing. (C’mon, you know you’ve done it once.)

This is a very interesting time indeed. Junior did say he didn’t want to live in his Dad’s shadow, and wanted to be his own man. While we all selfishly wanted to see Junior to the #3, that isn’t what Junior wanted. It’s what the fans wanted. With this situation, Junior can still maintain his relationship with Richard Childress, but at the same time he can be his own person without having to live up to his ever-looming father’s reputation.

I think this is a good move all around, and pretty darn cool when you think about it. We’ll be entering one of those rare times where there is a lot of talent in a single place. They only come along once in a great while, and it is something to watch with awe and inspiration.

… “Pippen brings it across… he feeds it to Jordan… Jordan jams it home…”

History folks. Cherish it, and cherish the fact you’re able to see it as it happens.

4 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Dale Earnhardt Junior, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Teams





Trackback URL for: Straight Up pw0ned

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Saturday June 16, 2007
3:56pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Hell no, according to Jack Roush, in not so many words. “I’ve been there, and done that,” said the Cat in the Hat according to the Roanoke Times.

Hmmm, could it be Kyle burned that bridge when he originally went to Hendrick after jumping ship with Roush? Anybody care to recall the fight Ford put up initially? Then again, if that wasn’t enough to piss Jack off, add in their stint as Kurt’s “PR” department, and Kyle’s yapping mouth, and then you have a recipe for a situation where Jack would probably rather drink turpentine and whiz on a brush fire.

Nope, Jack doesn’t want any part of that. Not to mention that “technically” he doesn’t have an open seat to begin with. Then again, “technically” neither did Hendrick and we all know what happened there.

It’s apparent that Kyle is, or at least was, playing the role of a mushroom. Something about being kept in the dark and being fed bulls**t comes to mind. At least, that’s what his new agent would like us to think. Kyle fired his previous representation and has mentioned to the media that he was uninformed and kept in the dark in terms of negotiations with his contract, that his then current agent had received inquiries from other teams, and as to how negotiations were going. Naturally his previous agent would provide fuel to the fire, that same fire Jack is aiming for after ingesting turpentine, but simply replied that he’s handled matters professionally for many other drivers (including Johnson, Mears, and several others) and all were quite successful and handled with the utmost care and professionalism.

He said, she said, he said. Wah. Wah. Wah. Wah.

Yates has said publicly that they are very interested in acquiring Kyle, and would even love to unite the brothers under the same roof. Something which Kurt says he isn’t interested in and is committed to Penske, and something Kyle isn’t interested in either as he doesn’t want to be in the shrub in the shadow of the Busch. He’ll always be Kurt’s little brother but he wants to be known as Kyle, who just happens to be Kurt’s brother as well.

Can’t say that Kyle probably didn’t seal his own fate, but then again maybe not. There are people out there referring to the fact that it may be possible that with such an existing relationship with Rick Hendrick, that the media and the rest of us have been blind to the actions behind the scenes. That such discussions have been ongoing since as early as the off-season to see if it could come to light.

Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

You certainly do tend to think of Richard Childress before Rick Hendrick when it comes to those whom Junior is close to. That’s because of Dale Earnhardt though, and not Dale Earnhardt Jr. That coupled with Hendrick not apparently having room in the inn, caught quite a lot of people off guard when the announcement came. Well, until Marty Smith reported it on ESPN.com the night before.

So what’s in Kyle’s future now? Both RCR and Joe Gibbs apparently are looking to expand to add a fourth team, then there is Ginn who is interested. DEI’s Max Siegel said they would be very interested and Kyle would be one of a few on their short list.

Then again, one Mr. Ray Evernham is quite interested as well, and ready to expand to a fourth team as well. Ray’s even already opened up the lines of communication as well. Kyle’s said he’s like to keep it Chevy, but has also said he isn’t “married” to Chevy either. Meaning, he’s not contractually bound to Chevrolet to drive their brand.

While the door is being closed at Hendrick, and he’ll probably be excluded from certain Hendrick meetings ala “Vickers style”, he’s still a 22 year old driver with quite a career in front of him. His image needs polished up a bit in terms of actions and words, but then again is it really that bad? Like him or not, at least you know what is on his mind and he isn’t some media zombie.

That all being said, while it stings being left out of one situation the future certainly appears to be bright indeed. What comes of it is anyone’s guess, but at least now there are ton’s of possibilities and opportunities ahead.

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Drivers, Kyle Busch, Nascar, Nextel Cup





Trackback URL for: Kyle Busch Back To Roush…

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday June 20, 2007
3:44pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Congratulations to Jeff and Ingrid who welcomed Ella Sofia into the world this morning shortly after 9am local time.

From JeffGordon.com

NEW YORK, N.Y. (June 20, 2007) - Earlier today, Jeff Gordon and Ingrid Vandebosch welcomed a new daughter into the world. Ella Sofia Gordon was born at 9:09 a.m., weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and was 20 inches long.

“It’s been an absolutely incredible experience,” Gordon said. “Ingrid came through amazingly and we’re both really happy and overjoyed. We can’t wait to get home and start our lives together as a family.”

The four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion will travel to Northern California later this week and is scheduled to participate in all on-track activities at Infineon Raceway, site of this weekend’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race.

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Filed Under: Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #24, Jeff Gordon, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Sonoma/Infineon, Teams, Tracks





Trackback URL for: Congratulations In Order For Ella Sofia

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Friday June 22, 2007
2:23pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Just revealed on NASCAR Live on Speed, in pre-inspection both the #24 and #48 failed to fit the “grid” that NASCAR uses as its template check. You know, that big claw looking thing.

Neither team will be allowed to practice or qualify, and NASCAR will be meeting with the teams to discuss what they will be allowed to participate in this weekend.

Both will start from the back at the pack, 41st and 42nd respectively.

The cars did not conform to “Da Rules”, apparently the issue was with the left front fenders. The template fit the check points, but it was something to do with what was going on in between those particular points and that the fenders were slightly “bowed” out a bit. You may draw a comparison to that whole “X” template thing that a few cars were hit on last season.

As of this post, both cars were in the process of going back through tech. The #48 has made it past “the claw”, and the #24 was still working on it.

What is not known at this time is penalty assessments, or anything else.

I’m sure the rumors and whatever will be flying, as well as the Hendrick “Hater-Aid” as well.

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #24, Hendrick Motorsports #48, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Sonoma/Infineon, Teams, Tracks





Trackback URL for: Johnson and Gordon Fail Infineon Inspection Grid