It’s after 1am in Charlotte. Does anyone care?
Monday, February 25th, 2008 12:48am UTC
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.
So it’s approaching 1:30am in Charlotte. Does anyone care at this point, aside from the minimal few diehard fans still up, and those still at the track?
Let’s be honest here. Anyone that was watching, went to bed quite a while ago. Those on the west coast are just now turning in, recently turned in, or are heading that way soon. The majority gave up long ago.
As we tick off the 4th hour of the red flag delay, and enter into the 5th, how much is too much? Does anyone at this point really care anymore tonight?
The drivers have been on again, off again for half a day, and the level of fatigue (from mostly sheer boredom) has to be setting in. At this point, I would have to ask the question, “Is this safe?”
There is one thing to be sure of at this point. They’d damn well better go racing after all of this, and it better make the distance.
On a more serious note, Casey Mears is quite alright after one heck of an accident. Thank you H2O.
Casey hit one of the weepers, creepers, or whatever you want to call it, and lost his car up the track. He almost had it saved, then hit the marbles and junk up by the wall. Thus causing a chat with said wall, a spin back across the track, a brief conversation with Dale Jr., before coming to rest along the outside wall. Oops! Just a second here, Sam Hornish Jr. has something to add to the conversation here. Wrinkled hood and all, neither saw it coming. Hornish couldn’t stop, see, or steer by that point, and he lifted Casey’s back end up in the air, rolling his car over a time and a half to finally come to rest on the passenger side.
Both drivers we unharmed, out of their cars under their own power, treated and released from the infield care center. Heck, Casey’s probably crawling into bed in Charlotte by now. At least close to it.
Now hurry the hell up, and let’s race.
Update:
Nope. I guess nobody cares. Even NASCAR. After keeping what few were left hanging on their seats, they call it a day at 2am EST.
Gee, thanks.
Back at it at 1pm EST tomorrow I guess.
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Filed Under: California, Casey Mears, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Nascar, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tracks
Tagged As: Casey Mears, Rain Delay, Sam Hornish Jr
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By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday February 13, 2008
3:35pm UTC
Published on Thunder Lounge.
Motors, they are a changin’.
Or was that “times”? Well, that wasn’t the case in Daytona this afternoon.
It would seem that teams running Hendrick engines, at least 6 (includes Nemecheck and Riggs), would be changing engines before the Duel’s tomorrow afternoon.
But wait, we’re not stopping there. Toyota is also have problems with their engines. In fact, the exact same problem. To the extent that TRD is sending new engines straight from California, post haste.
The problem, for you engine techs out there, is that the coating on the cam shaft is coming off, getting on the lifters and filtering through the engine.
Clint Bowyer is also changing an engine today, but it was unrelated to the above problem according to SPEED.
What this means is that the teams who have changed engines prior to their Duel will have to start at the back of their assigned heat. Once the Duel’s have run, all teams may freely make an engine change without penalty.
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Filed Under: Casey Mears, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Junior, Daytona, Drivers, Furniture Row Racing #78, Haas CNC Racing #66, Hendrick Motorsports #24, Hendrick Motorsports #25, Hendrick Motorsports #48, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Hendrick Motorsports #88, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Joe Nemechek, Nascar, Scott Riggs, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tracks
Trackback URL for: R07 Woes For Chevy’s Top Dogs
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Tuesday February 12, 2008
10:39pm UTC
Published on Thunder Lounge.
Kyle Busch
-
2007 Stats
- Organization: Hendrick Motorsports
- Car Number: 5
- Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
- Sponsor: Kellogg’s
- Points: 5th :: 6293 :: -430
- Starts: 36
- Poles: 0
- Wins: 1
- Top 5′s: 11
- Top 10′s: 20
- Winnings: $4,685,520
-
2008 Preview
- Organization: Joe Gibbs Racing
- Car Number: 18
- Crew Chief: Steve Addington
- Sponsor: M&M’s
Wow. Short end of the stick in 2007 or what? Hi, thanks for driving, but you’re getting the boot in favor of NASCAR’s most popular driver.
While many say it’s strictly attitude that cost Kyle Busch his ride at Hendrick, which I don’t deny had a factor in it, what still rolls though my mind with this young talent is whether or not he would still be in that seat this season had Dale Jr. not been on the market. In all honesty, and I may be wrong, I believe he would still be driving for Rick Hendrick.
That aside, when Kyle was good in 2007, he was damn good. What kicked him in the butt finally was that he is his own worst enemy and it starts right below his nose. It’s not really blatant mouth-butter, it stems more from still being young and in that “invinceable” mode. While some people his age are more mature/self aware, some are less. It’s just a part of being young and full of it. He still has some growing up to do, but he’ll get there, settle down, and learn along the way. Such is life when you finish growing up infront of the media.
Looking into 2008, Kyle Busch is rolling right along at his new home with the Gibbs Boys. Smoke leading the way, and an already good friend in Denny Hamlin, the youngest driver in JD’s camp also is the driver that fared best on the track overall in 2007. Kyle seems to be a better fit in that particular crowd than in past years, although the company his former teammates keep would be difficult for just about any driver out there to keep up and fit in with.
Note: information is accurate as of date published. Check Thunder Lounge for additional updates and information.
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Filed Under: Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Joe Gibbs Racing #18, Kyle Busch, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Sprint Cup, Teams
Tagged As: Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart
Trackback URL for: Daytona 500: 5 Days and Counting
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Saturday February 9, 2008
11:38pm UTC
Published on Thunder Lounge.
The #5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet was found to be a little low in post-race inspection after Saturday nights Bud Shootout.
According to Jim Hunter, NASCAR Vice President, it was possible the car was damaged during the race and that they would know more Sunday.
Guess we’ll know a little more tomorrow, so we’ll be sure to follow up with the latest.
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Filed Under: Casey Mears, Daytona, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Nascar, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tracks
Tagged As: Failed Inspection, Post-Race Inspection
Trackback URL for: Uh-Oh, Casey
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Saturday February 2, 2008
11:34pm UTC
Published on Thunder Lounge.
Casey Mears
-
2007 Stats
- Organization: Hendrick Motorsports
- Car Number: 25
- Crew Chief: Darian Grubb
- Sponsor: GMAC/National Guard
- Points: 15th :: 3949 :: -2774
- Starts: 36
- Poles: 1
- Wins: 1
- Top 5′s: 5
- Top 10′s: 10
- Winnings: $4,179,200
-
2008 Preview
- Organization: Hendrick Motorsports
- Car Number: 5
- Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
- Sponsor: Kellogg’s
One may consider Casey Mears as the odd man out at Hendrick Motorsports for 2008. While it’s true that he hasn’t yet risen to the superstar level of his three teammates, that’s one of Casey’s biggest advantages. He can fly below the radar.
Casey’s first win in Cup came once he moved to Hendrick, and he showed steady improvement through his first year. If he comes out running as well as he was last fall, he’ll be a threat to make the chase.
Note: information is accurate as of date published. Check Thunder Lounge for additional updates and information.
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Filed Under: Casey Mears, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #25, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Sprint Cup, Teams
Trackback URL for: Daytona 500: 15 Days and Counting
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Monday October 29, 2007
3:55pm UTC
Published on Thunder Lounge.
While Jimmie Johnson and his gaining of ground may be what you had in mind for the big story of the weekend at Atlanta, we’re sorry to disappoint you and let you know that the story out of Atlanta is instead the first official runs for Dale Earnhardt Junior and Tony Eury Jr under the Hendrick Motorsports banner.
Pictured are the duo, prepping for runs this morning at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where Junior knocked it down with a 5th and a 15th in 2 different cars. (Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images) Fastest in the morning session was Kyle Busch in the #18 Chevy for Joe Gibbs.
Get ready for it folks, it will be the most talked about story this week.
Not water in the gas (Hamlin, Blaney, and Biffle), not gaining ground in the points (Johnson on Gordon), but how Dale’s week went.
You’ll notice in images from the test session(s), that he’s smiling. Heh, after a year like he’s had I would be too upon stepping into a ride of that caliber and quality. Not to mention to be able to hear Tony’s voice on the radio again.
Note that the red and white firesuit has Adidas across the front. The car is listed as the #5, and has a special paint scheme on it to commemorate the first car Hendrick put on the track (as All-Star) back in the day. It was Dale’s idea, and Rick ate it up. For you Junior fans out there, take a good look at this. If anything, it’s at least a glimmer of hope and the light at the end of the tunnel.
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Filed Under: Atlanta, Dale Earnhardt Junior, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Hendrick Motorsports #88, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Teams, Tracks
Trackback URL for: Johnson Gains Ground On Gordon, But Dale Jr Steals The Headlines
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday October 3, 2007
3:41pm UTC
Published on Thunder Lounge.
Welcome to the first edition of WTF? Wednesday™.
A brief synopsis: Every Wednesday, we’re going to go the extra mile (and possibly throw “the flag”) to ask the all inevitable question that is lurking on everyone’s mind. WTF? If it’s smelling funny, and has to do with NASCAR, we’re going to ask it.
On to this weeks column.
Kyle Bush and his manifold of gold
As you may or may not have heard, NASCAR failed the #5 of Kyle Bush after he swept through (again) to Victory Lane in the Busch Race at Kansas.
They “deemed” his intake manifold to be “illegal”. Yet, here it is Wednesday already and there hasn’t been a word about it since Sunday. WTF?
Hendrick says it’s legit, and that it’s no different than other times. In fact, they even sent one into NASCAR and they inspected it for 2 days earlier last week.
So, what’s “good to go” this week may be “illegal” the next? WTF?
Late this afternoon, NASCAR announced a “fine” of $10,000 for Mike Bumgarner, the crew chief for Kyle Bush in the Busch Nationwide Series for violations found post-race at Kansas.
Bruton Smith “may” build a new “Charlotte”
Bruton wants a drag racing venue at his current location in the capital of NASCAR. Cool, he’s done it at Bristol and Texas to name a few. He gets the required zoning, and begins.
All of a sudden, the City Council (we’re talking Concord, not “technically Charlotte”) decided the other night to overturn the zoning for the area, leaving Mr. Smith in the middle of a project which (currently) can’t be used. WTF?
Supposedly the “City Council” wanted to pull the reins on all the “noise” in the area, as it’s building up around the track in terms of both business and residential neighbors. OK, whatever.
So, Bruton laid out the terms for all to see. If that’s the way it’s going to be, and “noise” is such a concern, I want my tracks together. If I need to relocate my venues to another part of town, I will.
Huh?
Mr. Bruton Smith went on to compare it to a stick/ball team building a new arena in town. It’s still there, just in a different location. This isn’t a ploy or a threat. It’s the facts. If he has to move it to another area of town, he will. He’s already scouting land around the Charlotte area, and I’d bet there’s a few communities welcoming the move with open arms.
So you’ll hear about Charlotte closing, but really it’s just moving to another side of town.
The question is, what would the track be like? Would it mirror the current configuration? Let’s hope not.
Bruton Smith has a few things at his disposal now. He’s got raw data from various sources, and I’d be willing to bet that if indeed a deal can’t be reached, and he does build a new facility, that it will be the best one on the circuit. He knows what is working, and where the future is headed. Expect the facilities to be top notch, and something viable for not only today, but for decades to come.
What about the track itself? Would it be the same thing, or could it be something unique? Here’s a chance to shine. Do something that hasn’t/isn’t being done. Make that track even more special than it already is. 1.5 miles in length? Nah. 2 miles? Maybe, but Michigan and Cali-bore-nia already do it. 1 mile? Dover, New Hampshire. 1.75 miles? 1.25 miles? Hmmm, 600 miles is divisible evenly at 1.25 miles, 1.75 is a tick off, but almost another full lap.
With all the data available, the chance to truly make a “Beast of the Southeast” exists. The fans would dig it (who wants another cookie?), the drivers would dig it, and most of all it would be something different.
We’ll see what happens on that front, but for now in terms of this “out of nowhere” deal, WTF?
Kansas
We aren’t in Kansas anymore, but thoughts sure haven’t left there.
Why was a race that had not a chance of ending before darkness resumed? WTF?
OK, if I had paid to be there, I’d want as much show as possible.
“Technically”, if all the remaining laps went green it could have made the distance. NASCAR isn’t that dumb, so they said we’re going to 225. WTF?
The thing is, when has there been an opportunity to restart a race at all? It would either:
a) go way into the night
b) not enough daylight left, and no lights available
c) wasn’t enough left for it to be worth it.
Kansas was what, 12 or so laps past halfway? NASCAR made the call to continue with as much of a show as possible, which was a good call for fans, just maybe not for your driver. Then again, maybe your driver came out better than if it had been stopped? Then again, the one who would have benefited most from not resuming, ended up with the bonehead move of the race. “Hey Smoke, there’s smoke coming out of your tire.” But, I digress.
Then you have the finish. Biffle cut the motor off coming out of 4 on the final lap, to make sure he had enough fuel to do a burn out. He had half a gallon left, by the way, but NASCAR made him walk over to Victory Lane. WTF? Why couldn’t the guy do a burnout? WTF?
“Da rules” state a reasonable speed, and NASCAR said it was. Some of the competitors didn’t think it was, so they passed under yellow. NASCAR said the field was frozen, so that was that. OK, but also if you pass under yellow, don’t you get a penalty? So if that’s true, and Biffle wasn’t maintaining a reasonable speed (almost half the pace car speed as he crossed the line), then wouldn’t Casey Mears have won with Jeff Gordon finishing second? But, the field was frozen and Biffle maintained a reasonable speed. WTF?
Not even the mighty scoring loops of NASCAR got it right. It had Bowyer listed at 1st, followed by Johnson. Talk about a Charlie Foxtrot drill. Anyone want to wager about a slight modification to the wording in “Da Rules” about this for next season? If there isn’t, we have our last WTF?
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Filed Under: Busch Series, Casey Mears, Charlotte/Lowe's, Clint Bowyer, Drivers, Features, Greg Biffle, Hendrick Motorsports #24, Hendrick Motorsports #25, Hendrick Motorsports #48, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Kansas, Kyle Busch, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Richard Childress Racing #07, Roush Racing #16, Teams, The Chase, Tony Stewart, Tracks, WTF? Wednesday's
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By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday June 13, 2007
1:47pm UTC
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.
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Filed Under: Dale Earnhardt Junior, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Teams
Trackback URL for: Straight Up pw0ned
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Tuesday June 12, 2007
6:43pm UTC
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.
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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 April 17, 2007
1:31pm UTC
Published on Thunder Lounge.
You know, some people out there are just plain idiots. We’re talking major, or wish they were major, media outlets and their ridiculous love affair with Dale Junior. They love to write about him, at times they love to hate him, then there are the times they want to bring out the big guns to pop a fly on the wall. It’s no wonder that half the crap you folks write is a distant memory by the time the ink dries on the worthless rags you write for.
You’ll be hard pressed to find a one-sided opinion on the Lounge, but every now and then a driver gets beat up in the press over something so stupid that we need to take a stance. Not to back away from a neutral position, but when something isn’t right, someone should say so. So we’ll continue.
What is the damn deal here with beating up Dale Earnhardt Jr. for hopping into the #5 of Kyle Busch to finish out the race at Texas last Sunday? It’s nothing but selfishly trying to grab a few readers, and smells worse than a rotten jar of Jay-Bee’s. Granted that jar of Jay-Bee’s still works, and maybe even better. Granted your readers ain’t biting on the stench you’re slinging out, unlike ol’ Mr. Whiskers that’ll snatch up the mouthful of Jay-Bee’s quicker than a Texas twister snatchin’ up some poor guy’s trailer.
Then there’s the folks that think Junior’s going to head to Hendrick just from jumpin’ in that seat. Come on people. Did common sense just walk out the door for a vacation? Hello, there’s no room there.
Here’s the plain and simple truth. Nothing more, nothing less.
A) Team Chevy. With a new kid on the block, every point counts. Granted it wasn’t a teammate by owner, but it sure was by manufacturer.
B) Junior’s got friends everywhere. You think they refer to the garage area as a big family for nothing? When someone needs help back there, and you can help, you do it.
C) Hello, Junior’s in a big contract negotiation if you haven’t heard already. Why pass up the opportunity to hop into someone else’s stuff, and see what it’s got? OK, so it was torn up. That’s OK though. Junior’s driven his stuff in a similar condition, and there are some comparisons which can be made. One of which that he commented on was how smooth the steering was, and he said he could tell it was a pretty hot car before the accident. There you have it. Now he knows a little bit, granted not a lot but a little bit, about some of the quality of equipment which isn’t from his current provider in DEI. Not talking teams and their effort, but the equipment results from having the backing, additional equipment, and R & D to put into the effort. By the way, Jr., I hear Cal Wells has got a Chassis Dyno up for grabs.
D) He’s a racer, and Ken Schrader always sums it up best when he tells the story about how you could put wheels on a popsicle stick (or hot dog) and these guys would be out there to race it.
That’s all there is to it, really. No need to whine, cry, or call Junior stupid because of “What if he misses the chase by 3 points behind Kyle Busch”, or “What if he misses the title by 3 points to Kyle Busch”, or any of that crap. And it is crap.
So next time you want to pick on someone, do for them screwing up. Don’t just sit there and jump all over someone for doing not only what was a favor and helping hand, but for doing what was right.
/rant
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Filed Under: Dale Earnhardt Inc #8, Dale Earnhardt Junior, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Kyle Busch, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Teams, Texas, The Soapbox, Tracks
Trackback URL for: Back Off Junior’s Sack, Flacks…
