Happy Wednesday. Everyone have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Today In Nascar History Nov. 25, 1957: Ground is broken for Daytona International Speedway. The soil underneath the banked corners was dug from the infield of the track and the hole was filled with water, which created Lake Lloyd. Quote of the Year There's an unwritten rule in NASCAR: Thou shalt not take on Dale Earnhardt Jr. --Terry Blount/espn Countdown to Daytona 81 Bits and Pieces Jimmie Johnson Day in New York City: Less than 48 hours after winning an unprecedented fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championship in Homestead, #48-Jimmie Johnson took a private elevator Tuesday to the observation deck of the Empire State Building with Johnny Damon, the stock-car racing fan (and Yankees left fielder). At the top, Johnson took photos of Damon hamming it up, and Damon took photos of Johnson, who tried to ham it up but was clearly not as good at it. Tourists snapped photos of Johnson and Damon taking photos of each other a photo-op for a photo-op. And here was the surprise: As many people knew Johnson as knew Damon. Johnson, who was in New York for a series of interviews, said he was enjoying the fourth championship as much as he did the first one. Tuesday was proclaimed Jimmie Johnson Day in New York. When it became dark, the top of the Empire State Building glowed blue, white and yellow, the colors of his #48 Lowe's Chevrolet. Johnson was saluted for accomplishing something rarely done in any sport.(New York Times) Johnson on Leno: Hot off of making history by clinching his fourth Cup Series title in a row NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson signs on for Leno's "Ten @ Ten" segment on NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" (Monday-Friday, 10:00-11:00pm/et) on Wednesday, November 25. "Ten @ Ten" connects Leno via satellite with celebrities and newsmakers from around the world. Johnson will be signing on from Charlotte, NC. "The Jay Leno Show" is from Big Dog Productions in association with Universal Media Studios. Debbie Vickers is the executive producer. For artwork from "The Jay Leno Show," please visit the NBC press website at www.nbcumv.com. For embed codes of clips from "The Jay Leno Show" please visit thejaylenoshow.com/video.(NBC) Event Schedule for 2009 Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week: As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season nears conclusion the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway just a few weeks away 2009 Champion's Week celebrations have taken shape. Las Vegas, Nev., is the host city for this year's Champion's Week festivities, which culminates on Friday, Dec. 4 with the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony at Wynn Las Vegas. This year, SPEED will televise the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony live with two re-airs. The awards ceremony is the series champion's formal celebration. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony can also be heard on Sirius NASCAR Radio (SIRIUS channel 128 and XM channel 128 with the "Best of SIRIUS"), and on MRN Radio. Though the awards ceremony is the traditional focal point, a full roster of exciting events is planned for this year's Champion's Week, many with fan involvement. This year's awards ceremony marks the first time in the sport's history that fans will join drivers, team owners and industry leaders in celebrating the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. Approximately 300 tickets are available to fans, which are being distributed by tracks, NASCAR partners, top-12 drivers and teams through various fan promotions. (NASCAR) Hyder staying at the Wood Brothers: David Hyder will continue in his role as crew chief with the #21 Wood Brothers Racing team and driver Bill Elliott in 2010. Hyder, 42, is enjoying his second stint leading the #21 Ford and is under contract with the team through the end of the 2010 season. "I've really enjoyed my time with the Wood Brothers," Hyder said. "We'll continue to run a limited schedule and build the program with Bill behind the wheel."(FoxSports), #49 BAM Racing recently said that Hyder would return to them as crew chief in 2010. Final Chase TV ratings posted: After averaging a 3.8 rating for its coverage of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in both 2007 and 2008, ABC's average for the 10 Chase races was a 3.5 for 2009. ESPN2's average rating for 26 NASCAR Nationwide Series race telecasts in 2009 was a 1.4, down from a 1.5 average in 2008 but even with the final average for 2007. (ESPN). Roush Racing helps out NC Auto Racing HOF: For many, being able to give to others during this holiday season will be a difficult task. But it is not always the gift of tangible goods or money that can mean the most to its recipient. A recent event took place at the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame in Mooresville, NC. On Thursday, November 19th, the NC Auto Racing HOF mailbox on Knob Hill Road was struck and destroyed by a customer. One of the museum's volunteers, an 80-year-old man, went outside to try to resurrect the mailbox. Watching him struggle with this task from across the street was someone from Roush Fenway Racing, who dispatched a group of their shop workers to come over and help. They poured cement for the new post, fabricated the mailbox, and installed it on the same day. All of this was done without their being asked to do so, and without any payment whatsoever. Replacing a mail box doesn't seem like a big expense but to small non-profit organizations like the Hall of Fame, it has an impact.(NCARHOF) Kvapil talking to Front Row, but still looking: Travis Kvapil could drive for Front Row next year when that organization plans to expand to two full-time teams. "Nothing yet," Kvapil said. "I talked to the guys here at Front Row, and it sounds like they're definitely interested in putting something together, but really we haven't had any negotiation. We haven't done anything to put any sort of agreement together. I've been talking to a lot of teams. There's not a lot of opportunities out there. These guys, I really like the direction they're going. They've got some things in the works to make them a better team manufacturer-wise, technical-wise."(SceneDaily) Blue Changes at Yates Shop: The building used by Yates Racing in Concord, N.C., soon will be gutted and prepared to expand into a four-car Sprint Cup garage when the merger with Richard Petty Motorsports is completed. The building was used to field two cars owned by Yates/Hall of Fame Racing in 2009. With the merger it will expand to the #9 of Kasey Kahne, #19 of Elliott Sadler, #43 of AJ Allmendinger and #98 of Paul Menard. The building is expected to be painted the famous Petty Blue since the organization will take on the RPM name. (ESPN Insider) Sprint Experience Reaches 500,000 Fans in 2009: Recently, Sylvia Anderson from Garden Hill, Ontario became the 500,000th NASCAR fan to enter the Sprint Experience, an interactive fan pavilion Sprint provides at every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. To commemorate the milestone, Anderson was treated to a once-in-a-lifetime VIP experience, courtesy of Sprint, by celebrating with the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. Not only did Anderson take part in the post-race celebration with the 2009 NSCS champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday evening, but she also presented the Chase for the Sprint Cup leader flag to Jimmie Johnson, current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader, during driver introductions for the Nov. 22 Ford 400. Anderson and her husband, Rob, enjoyed Sunday's race from an upgraded seat inside the Sprint suite. The Sprint Experience, a 10,000-square-foot interactive pavilion, travels to every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Fans who visit the pavilion are able to drive 3-D race simulators, play games for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series-branded prizes, and view Johnson's 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion's trophy. Interactive displays allow fans to learn more about Sprint products and services, including NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, the wireless application that delivers real-time, race-day statistics and telemetry from all 43 NSCS drivers and offers video on demand from NASCAR.com, SPEED and more. By reaching the 500,000-visitor mark, attendance at the Sprint Experience is up nearly 50% from the 2008 season.(Sprint PR) Kyle Busch working on deal to remain with Joe Gibbs Racing By Jeff Gluck/scenedaily.com All indications point toward Kyle Busch remaining with Joe Gibbs Racing instead of hitting the free-agent market next season. Representatives for both sides said Tuesday that contract extension talks have picked up recently and are expected to conclude with a new deal by the start of the 2010 season. Busch's current contract with JGR had been set to expire at the end of next year. "We've had ongoing discussions with them, and it has gotten a bit more serious," Busch's agent, Jeff Dickerson, said. Team President J.D. Gibbs said he was "excited" about getting closer to a deal to have Busch remain with the team and said he didn't anticipate any deal-breakers standing in the way of extending their union. "Everything is looking long-term," he said. "The [M&M] Mars partnership has been great, [along with] Interstate Batteries. Kyle has been really kind of growing, maturing. "To me, it's just detail stuff. I feel we'll be in really good shape, just knocking some stuff out." Busch has won 12 races in two Sprint Cup seasons at JGR and won the Nationwide Series championship this season – his first NASCAR title – under the organization's banner. He was not expected to look elsewhere, despite missing the Chase and having crew chief Steve Addington replaced with Dave Rogers in the aftermath. Busch said earlier this year that JGR felt like home and that he hoped to remain with the team that has accepted his occasional outbursts. Team owner Joe Gibbs and son J.D. "like me for who I am," Busch said. "They see I have the drive and tenacity to try to be the best there ever was." Dale Jr. is Hendrick's No. 1 offseason priority Associated Press Getting Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team back on track is Rick Hendrick's top priority now that Jimmie Johnson has his record fourth consecutive NASCAR championship. "We're all over it, and we've been all over it," Hendrick said Tuesday in a conference call. "It's my primary focus here, starting Monday." Johnson gave Hendrick Motorsports its NASCAR record 12th championship in Sunday's season finale, and Hendrick drivers swept the top three spots in the standings. Mark Martin finished second and won five races this season, while Jeff Gordon finished third and had one victory. Earnhardt, meanwhile, went winless and was a distant 25th in the final standings in his second season driving for Hendrick. Hendrick changed Earnhardt's crew chief midway through the season, and assigned additional engineering support to the No. 88 team. Although his performance began to improve toward the end of the season, bad luck and mechanical problems left Earnhardt with very little to show for his efforts. Earnhardt had just five top-10 finishes all year, and admittedly struggled with his confidence. "I've seen this happen with Jeff Gordon ... you just go through these (slumps)," Hendrick said. "We know we can make the team better and it's frustrating. The driver begins to think that no matter what he does, something is going to happen. "We've had failures, we've had wrecks. If it could happen, it happened to that team. It's just been really frustrating." Hendrick, meanwhile, said his 29-year-old niece is doing well after undergoing an emergency liver transplant Sunday in North Carolina. He missed the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway after flying home Friday night to be with niece Alesha Gainey, who was healthy and headed to a Carolina Panthers game on Thursday night when she suddenly fell ill. Hendrick said doctors aren't sure what caused Gainey's organs to fail, and although the liver transplant was successful, she's in critical condition because her kidneys aren't yet functioning. Gainey is the daughter of Rick Hendrick's brother, John, who was one of the 10 people killed in a 2004 plane crash. Also killed in the accident was Gainey's younger twin sisters. "It was never a doubt in my mind where I needed to be, and where I wanted to be," Hendrick said of missing the race. "I would have loved to have celebrated with them, but I wasn't in the frame of mind to celebrate. The good news is, the liver is working, she's stable and we're going to have a very good Thanksgiving." Now Mayfield Is Just Being Stupid By Greg Engle, CupScene.com Editor, NASCAR Examiner
The continuing saga of Jeremy Mayfield has taken a turn into Stupidville.
For those fans that may have been in the dark for the last year, Mayfield is the former driver who was suspended after testing positive for meth last spring. Both Mayfield and NASCAR have been in and out of court with each claiming they are right and the other side is wrong. Up until Tuesday both sides had filed reasonable arguments stating their case. Whether NASCAR is right and Mayfield is wrong is a matter left to the courts, but one thing is clear; last week, lawyers representing Mayfield went way across the line. According to a report by the Associated Press, Mayfield's lawyers, led by defense attorney to the stars Mark Geragos, subpoenaed NASCAR CEO Brian France's ex-wife Megan and requested documents concerning a lawsuit filed against her by her former husband, along with joint tax returns and mail addressed to Brian France. Are you kidding me? France sued his former wife last year and all the documents in the case have been sealed. But yet Mayfield's attorneys feel they now need to pry in the private life of NASCAR's CEO.
And for what reason?
It's obvious that desperate times are calling for desperate measures, that someone in the Mayfield camp is looking for retribution despite the fact that there are still motions and legal proceedings that haven't been addressed yet.
Tuesday NASCAR filed a motion in court that said, "They are attempting to improperly bring private, irrelevant information concerning Mr. France's domestic relations into this litigation as a means of retaliation."
Well duh.
Not in anybody's wildest dreams could there ever be a reason for someone connected to Mayfield to pry into the private life of NASCAR's CEO for anything other than plain old fashioned mudslinging.
Geragos also petitioned the court to hold a deposition of Megan France on December 4th, which happens to be the same day as NASCAR's awards ceremony in Las Vegas.
In NASCAR's filing they pointed out that the date Geragos selected is "on a day when neither NASCAR's corporate representatives nor Mr. France can attend."
Geragos of course was well aware of that.
What Geragos is attempting to do smacks of the same tactics some defense lawyer's resort to when it's obvious they have a less than even chance of winning; bug the hell out them and hope they want to settle out of court so Mayfield will just go away.
Let's hope that doesn't happen. Mayfield should have his day in court and one would hope he isn't attempting now to try and have the matter settled before it's ever heard in court.
What happened between Brian France and his ex-wife is their business. There is no one among us who would want our private affairs put before the public and the France family is no exception.
Before Geragos gets too far with his case though he should take note of the fact that Mayfield's former attorney has not been paid and Mayfield spent last weekend auctioning off some of his property last weekend telling the AP that the auction was a 'hobby' but also as a way to pay his legal bills.
Of course Mayfield claimed weeks ago that he paid his former lawyer, Bill Diehl in Charlotte. However the lawyer said Mayfield owes a 'significant' amount of money to the firm. NASCAR, not Johnson, driving fans away By Tom Sorensen - The Charlotte Observer Everybody who spends time around Jimmie Johnson likes him. He's friendly and doesn't make a big deal of who he is or what he has accomplished. Jimmie grew up in a trailer park, an endearing little piece of history that goes against his courteous corporate image. But when I see him, and listen to him, I don't get a whiff of a trailer. Yet when I talk to another Johnson, Junior Johnson, I always look behind him to see how close revenuers are. History clings to him. Jimmie, the four-time reigning Cup series champion, is not the problem with his sport. But his sport has serious problems. The foremost of them is that the races are boring. Defenders of the sport, not all of whom are in the media, point to the multiple winners this season. Look how diverse we are. You never know what will happen next. If the races aren't much fun to watch, what difference does it make who wins, unless it's Dale Earnhardt Jr., and he wins as often as I do. TV ratings are down. Attendance is inconsistent. There will be Thanksgiving Day touch football games that attract as many spectators as the NASCAR Banking 500 did last month at Lowe's Motor Speedway. NASCAR made a decision years ago. It decided to abandon the Southeast and South and appeal to fans nationally. The strategy was a short-term success. NASCAR became the hot new sport. Fans were sick of politics, sick of unions, and here was a sport in which the athletes played nice and a work stoppage was unfathomable. This was a ma and pa enterprise. There were no unions. So, out with the South and in with Chicago and Kansas City, Kan. Problem is, the new fans haven't stayed. They tried NASCAR the way they'd try a new restaurant and, after a few meals, they moved on. They failed to find compelling personalities to identify with. They failed to find the feuds that fuel our most popular sports (such as the NFL and the New York Giants vs. Philadelphia, Dallas vs. the world and Cleveland vs. itself). The up-close and personal side by side racing for which the sport is known feels like history. Ma, tell us about how exciting the racing was in the old days, before the Car of Tomorrow. Fans in the Southeast and South, meanwhile, fans who for decades kept the sport afloat, felt cheated. After all their support, they lost races to the newcomers and, in some cases, they lost race tracks. When NASCAR abandoned them, they abandoned NASCAR. I hear less talk about NASCAR in Charlotte than I have during the 28 years I've lived here. I'm talking about restaurants, bars, parties, at the gym, at work., everywhere people talk. Yes, my friends always have been more likely to talk about the NFL than about racing. But always there was somebody who would talk about meeting Dale Earnhardt at a convenience store near Lake Norman, and being in awe. Or watching a race just to see what the "3 car" would do during the final 10 laps. Or they'd ask me which race they ought to see first, and where they ought to sit. The only time NASCAR comes up now is when I ask why they stopped talking about it. Waid's World A NASCAR BLOG BY Steve Waid Payback is part of racing and NASCAR knows it I'm certainly not one to advocate that drivers go out and wreck each other during the course of a race, but when it comes to retribution, I say let 'em do it – within reason, of course. It doesn't necessarily make for great racing, but it can be fun for the fans. And given that they've complained loud and often that too many races have been boring, NASCAR can use all the fun it can get. Fiery competitors with an attitude certainly could inject some excitement into NASCAR. NASCAR has plenty of heroes. It needs more villains. You may consider Brad Keselowski a hero or villain. Ditto for Denny Hamlin. But their ongoing disagreement, which culminated at Homestead-Miami Speedway, provided some real spark to the season. Hamlin was fed up with Keselowski, whom he claimed had "fouled" him multiple times during the year. Hamlin said payback would be hell, and he planned to do it. He did at Homestead when he caught Keselowski and sent him into a spin early in the Ford 300 Nationwide Series race. Then, in the Ford 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya – neither the meek type – got into it. Montoya bumped Stewart. Then Stewart whacked Montoya causing a flat tire and a bump into the wall. After a stint in the garage Montoya returned to the race and delivered his payback. He bumped Stewart and sent him sliding into the grass. Don't you know the old guys like Bobby Allison, Richard Petty and David Pearson loved it? Paybacks have returned! Just like we used to do 'em! Speaking of Allison and Petty, they were bitter rivals in 1972. Petty was the reigning champion. and Allison, racing for Junior Johnson, wanted to unseat him. On the short tracks, particularly Martinsville and the old track in North Wilkesboro, N.C., they slammed into each other so hard and so often their cars looked like candidates for the junkyard. They were never personal in their verbal attacks but they made clear who they thought was at fault and what would be done about it. And NASCAR sat back and did nothing. Why bother? This type of racing was routine at the time. Paybacks were made on the track, as they were at Homestead. I think NASCAR fully realized what was going on and had no problem with retribution. That's probably why its penalties for Hamlin and Montoya were minor. Hamlin was penalized just one lap. NASCAR pretty much had to hit him with something since he'd been announcing all week that Keselowski would get his. Montoya was penalized two laps, and that didn't matter much to him since he was already down more than 20 laps. I think NASCAR has no problem with drivers settling their issues on the track. And it should have no problem with trash talking, as long as it's not profanity-laden. It's inevitable. If drivers don't do it on camera, just check out Twitter or Facebook. But I am certain NASCAR has its limits - which it should. And lest anyone think I am advocating mayhem, I am not. For example, there is a vast difference between a bump and spin and deliberate violent contact that can cause injury. If any other innocent driver is involved in an act of retribution NASCAR needs to quickly respond with a harsh penalty. No payback on pit road. The consequences could be dire. Again, judgment should be harsh. Otherwise, payback is part of racing. Again, I think NASCAR is well aware of that. It's one reason it had a meeting with Keselowski to tell him he needed to cultivate friends, not enemies. Let 'em settle it themselves and the fans will choose their heroes and villains. Just don't ever break up that No. 48 team by Jeff Hammond/foxsports.com I am excited for Jimmie Johnson. If there ever was the right guy, right team and right owner to represent our sport as our champion, then now is the time. Think about this, what Jimmie has accomplished has never happened in our sport since it was founded 61 years ago. What Jimmie has done in the last four years is nothing short of phenomenal. If you go and look at the statistics since Jimmie became a Sprint Cup driver, well what he has done overall is nothing short of phenomenal. Now here's the scary part. Well OK, it's only scary if you are his competitor. I don't see any reason for things to change in the near future. There's no reason to think they won't be just as good, if not better, next year. So the only thing his competitors can do is pick up the pace. Can he win five championships in a row? Sure he can. I think it is a distinct possibility. There's no reason not to think it can happen. To beat Jimmie Johnson you are going to have to have the same type of equipment, same type of effort and the same type of talent. Now that's not to say it's not out there, but you have to be able to put it all together. You really have to put it together when it really matters and that's during the final 10 races of the season. I personally think there are a lot of teams out there that can get it together and challenge Jimmie. Again, the issue is going to be whether any of these challengers can bring the same level of perfection that Jimmie and that No. 48 bunch bring to the table in the final 10 Chase races. Right now, I think it will take a Hendrick car to beat a Hendrick car. So I look to Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart or Ryan Newman to be Jimmie's most immediate threat. These guys are going to have to match that team stride for stride. I like what Darrell Waltrip said. We are looking at the greatest driver and team in NASCAR. That's not taking anything away from Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr. or any of our other champions, but what Jimmie has been able to accomplish in such a relatively short career is nothing short of mind boggling. They really are that good, folks. Now Jimmie has a new contract with Hendrick Motorsports. So he's not going anywhere. The Drive for Five is a legitimate opportunity. Some folks want to say it's one element or the other that is the main cause of the success of that No. 48 car. For me, it's all equal parts. They have a great race car driver, combined with a great crew chief, combined with a great owner that gives them all the assets they need to be successful. Take any one of those components away and this team will not be as effective as it is right now. If you don't believe me, then look what happened when Dale Inman left Richard Petty. If you don't believe that, then look what happened to Dale Earnhardt when he lost Kirk Shelmerdine. If you don't believe that, then look at Jeff Gordon when he lost Ray Evernham. These drivers were still good, but nowhere near as good as they were when they were together. Chemistry between a driver and a crew chief is like catching lightning in a bottle. It happens more times than not more by accident than by design. Once you find it though, never let go of it or try to dilute it. Guys that think they can do it without the other sure have another think coming. Overall, I have been pretty impressed with what we saw this season. We saw some outstanding racing and some tremendous efforts by these drivers this year. I have enjoyed seeing some of these guys get up on the wheel for all 36 races. I have enjoyed that. What I also liked this year was the fact we had new drivers go to Victory Lane in 2009. So there was some new blood in Keselowski, Reutimann and Logano. Also look at what Tony Stewart has done in only one year. He struck out on his own and now has built something that he can be so very proud of. He's a racer and it's great to see him doing it for the right reasons. We need more racers like Tony who have become businessmen. That will help keep our sport healthy. Let's also give a tip of the hat to NASCAR for making some good changes this year. The double file restarts have added so much to the racing. It definitely has improved the show. I also hope they continue to move forward making positive changes in the sport when it comes to safety. Considering the economy and all the challenges folks are facing, 2009 from a racing standpoint was pretty impressive. We saw history made in NASCAR. When you can be doing that, then you have to admit our sport is moving in the right direction. Up Front Ben White - NASCAR Illustrated Juan Pablo Montoya Juan Pablo Montoya wasn't expected to be a Chase contender this season. His team, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, merged and downsized over the offseason and the two-car operation didn't seem to have a shot against the likes of Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Richard Childress Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing. On top of that, Montoya was coming off a 25th-place finish in the points last year. But halfway through the 2009 season, the 33-year-old Colombian sat a remarkable ninth in points with nine top-10s in 19 starts — six more than he managed in all of 2008. NASCAR Illustrated: Are you happy with the way things have gone so far this season? Juan Pablo Montoya: I think we've had good weeks and bad weeks but more good than bad. I think we've raced really smart all year. To be honest, I hope we can keep doing the same things. It's all about consistency. NI: What's the overall goal this season? Montoya: People said they were sure we were smoking something, but the goal is to make the Chase. I think we are in good shape to do it. NI: How important is it for you and the team to make the Chase?
Montoya: Making the Chase is the first step for us as a company — to prove how good we are and how good we can become. It would be really cool if we can make the Chase, and it would really suck if we were close and missed it.
NI: What are your team's biggest strengths and weaknesses? Montoya: Our biggest strength is that everyone works really well together. Our biggest weakness is that we are not the size of the bigger teams. But at the same time, our weakness serves as a strength. Everyone is focusing on two cars rather than four or five. You look at an organization like Roush Fenway Racing and you have five cars that are kind of struggling. NI: How is the communication between you and crew chief Brian Pattie? Montoya: It's good. It's crazy, you know? It's out of control during the races. But it's all about the passion. We have the passion to do good. We have the passion to run well and win races and we are doing whatever it takes to do it. NI: Did you ever imagine that you would be making a living driving a stock car? Montoya: Never. Not even an open wheel car, either. I've always raced because I love it. I'm very blessed to be able to do it and make a living from it. NI: How do you think you've handled the transition from open wheel racing to NASCAR? Montoya: I think I've done well. I knew it was going to be hard and I knew it was going to take time. Some people thought that it was impossible but I didn't think so. I think my driving style is very different and it took a while for people to understand how I wanted to drive the car. Once we got to that point, I learned a little bit more about how to drive the car. It really brought everything together. NI: What surprises you most about racing in NASCAR? Montoya: The fans. They are incredible and have such passion for the sport. It's exciting to see.
NI: How have you and your family adapted to living in the United States? Montoya: We like it. Even before driving in NASCAR was talked about, we wanted to retire in the United States. We always thought once I stopped racing that we would move here. We had the place in Miami already that we live in now and that was always a part of the plan. NI: Do you have a favorite city in the United States?
Montoya: I really enjoy Miami but I have always loved Chicago. It's big and has the things like New York without the smell. It's a lot cleaner.
NI: What is your favorite American food? Montoya: That's a hard one to answer. There are a lot of things. I'm a big fan of fast food but I don't eat at those places as much as I used to. I do like In-N-Out Burger or Five Guys. Those places are incredible. NI: What do you like to do when you aren't racing?
Montoya: I do a lot of windsurfing right now. By August, the wind is good around Miami. I'm going to Aruba to windsurf for two weeks. I'm also a big golfer. I don't play as much as I used to but I still really get a kick out of playing golf. I also have RC planes and I'm learning to fly helicopters. And I have jet skis, motor bikes, a climbing wall and I just bought a pingpong table. I get a kick out of playing pingpong. NI: Of all those activities, which do you do best? Montoya: I'm decent at all of them. I just don't get enough time to practice. Last year, I had a seven handicap in golf. This year, I'm probably a 15 or 18. I don't get to go and hit balls and things like that. I just don't have the time. Junior: New Enquirer story bunk; hot tub one … David Newton/espn.com HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. laughed when asked on pit road Friday if recent allegations in a National Enquirer story entitled "Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a death spiral" were true. He jokingly said there was more truth in a 2004 Enquirer article that said he and drivers Jamie McMurray and Elliott Sadler were involved with "naked partying" with girls in beer-filled hot tubs during spring break in Panama City, Fla. "The hot tub story was kind of true," NASCAR's most popular driver said with a laugh. "Filling it up with beer, well, who hasn't done that?" I sheepishly raised my hand. "Even when you were in college?" he said, his voice raising a few octaves. "Holy … !" Sorry to disappoint. And by the way, the best part about the 2004 story, which Earnhardt pretty much shot down at the time, was that Martin Truex Jr. also was with the group but identified as Tony Stewart because that's who he told everybody he was. Back to the current Enquirer article. Earnhardt said he considered legal action against the publication before realizing it was worded in a way "so you really can't go after it." "I got all tore up about how we qualified at Charlotte [in October] and I got in front of you guys and really said how I feel," Earnhardt said after qualifying at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "A couple of metaphors I used such as 'end of my rope' put me in range of those guys. "They played target practice on that. I actually researched online how many people had sued and won." The article anonymously quoted several sources supposedly close to Earnhardt saying he had turned to "booze" to cope with what statistically is his worst season in the Sprint Cup series. The article said he "burned through a string of girlfriends and he's still haunted by the tragic death of his legendary father." "Dale Jr. seems almost in a death spiral," disclosed a pal in the story. "He's locked himself away from his closest friends, and he's upset all the time. "Those closest to him are concerned about his mental health and well-being. No one wants to see him do something stupid. We've suggested that he get help, take some time off and regroup, but he won't listen." Earnhardt again laughed off the article, refusing to call 2009 his worst season ever even though statistics -- 24th in points with no wins -- suggest otherwise. What he means is the scrutiny he's been under for lack of performance is far less than what he went through during the family warfare with stepmother Teresa Earnhardt. "It doesn't really bother me that much," he said of the article. "A lot of people say any publicity is good. We're [24th] in points and still relevant for the National Enquirer." As for this season, Earnhardt said a lot of good things have happened and that he wished the year wasn't over so his team could continue to improve. But he said confidence is what his team needs to work on the most during the offseason. "That's where it starts," Earnhardt said. "I need to believe that they believe, and vice versa. If they get the feeling I don't believe in them, then we are done. That's the worst thing I can do. It's a two-way street between every employee on that team." Earnhardt said some of the changes crew chief Lance McGrew has made in the structure of the team at the Concord, N.C., shop have helped. "And we'll see hopefully some more of that as we get closer to Daytona," he said, referring to next year's opener. "He's already made some good changes and done a pretty good job of helping us improve as a team." The Enquirer probably won't report that, though, unless McGrew fills the car with beer. Top Ten… Jeff Meyer · Fronstretch.com Things I Want To Say About The 2009 NASCAR Season Author's note: Since the 2009 season was really just a bad re-run of 2008, I simply modified last season's "end of the year Top Ten." As long as there is a Chase and Jimmie keeps winning it, this will probably be a yearly tradition. 10. (2008) Brian France could disappear off the face of the earth tomorrow and no one would notice. Well OK, we would notice because someone with some competence would be running the show. However, this guy has been here five years now and still, every time he speaks or appears in public, you are left with a profound sense of waste. This guy is not bright enough to tie the laces on his loafers. Oh, that's right, loafers don't have laces! (2009) Oh yeah! Thank you Brian for never letting us down! You are doing even better than last year! Just goes to prove that "stupid is forever!" 9. (2008) The ban of testing will not save the teams one bit of money. As it has been pointed out on this site before, the teams that could afford testing will spend it some other (possibly more expensive) way. The teams that couldn't afford massive testing, well, they ain't got the money to save anyway and are only hurt further. (2009) The testing ban was simply replaced by "Goodyear tire tests." One thing that I have figured out, though: Goodyear's testing of the new "larger tire" is directly linked to NASCAR's failing "Drive for Diversity." It's not so much that the tire is larger, but that the rims are! By developing a short sidewall tire mounted on really big, shiny rims, NASCAR is hoping to attract more minorities into the garage! 8. (2008) Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. This is either the start of something better than either had by themselves or a massive train wreck waiting to happen. DEI was a once proud and formidable contender in the Cup garage that has become nothing more than an also ran. Chip Ganassi Racing, which never really was anything super special in the series, seems to have a super fast revolving door when it comes to personnel. Me, I'm standing aside and betting on the train wreck. (2009) OK, so I missed the mark with this one! Ol' "Juablo" had one heck of a season. I can only surmise that, despite the team name, Teresa is not trying to run this show, and her only involvement is to simply have her last name above the door. Good move, Chip! 7. (2008) Sponsors and NASCAR. If NASCAR truly wanted to help the teams, it would put a freeze on any company becoming the "official" anything of NASCAR. They should direct them instead to various teams that need help. Stop stealing the limited dollars that are out there. NASCAR is _not losing money. They are just not making as big of a profit._ (2009) As sponsors in record numbers continue to divest themselves of all things NASCAR, ISC is selling the acreage they bought in New York. They paid $110 million for it a few years ago and hope to sell it before the end of the year for $80 million. Meanwhile, the die-cast business has gone bankrupt, attendance is way down, and the ratings … well, NASCAR is reportedly happy that now, with the offseason finally here, the downward spiral of the ratings should level off a bit! The state of the sport is marvelous! 6. (2008) Kyle Busch. What a year! All I will say about Kyle is thank God for Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus! (2009) Had Kyle even made the Chase this year, it would have made JJ's fourth title even more special. As it was, it was still fun to see the meltdown of Kyle that allowed him to focus on winning his first championship in the minor leagues! 5. (2008) Regan Smith got screwed! I still say Smith was forced below the yellow line by Tony Stewart at Talladega, robbing him of his first victory. If that weren't enough, Smith is named Rookie of the Year for 2008 and still has no set car to drive in '09! Here's hoping his current contract allowed him to keep all the prize monies for the ROY award. At least he won't go hungry. (2009) The drama of 'Dega didn't involve yellow lines this year, but rather fences and physics! What goes up must come down, as the "wing" has proven. But not to worry, ISC had stronger, taller fences installed so all should be OK. Does that mean NASCAR plans to increase the size of the wing? Wouldn't surprise me a bit! As for Regan Smith … he did manage to run 18 races and won just over a million in prize money this year, so he's doing better than me! 4. (2008) My "Best T-Shirt I've Seen at a Race" Award goes out to an unknown fan at the Nationwide race in St. Louis. It simply read "Kyle Busch Sucks!" This guy got more cheers than Kyle gets boos every time he came back to the stands with a beverage! (2009) While waiting in line to pee at the Vegas race this spring, I did see a guy with "Jeff Gordon Sucks" on the front of his shirt. The back? "Jimmie Johnson Swallows." I don't know if that is worthy of any award, but the guy did seem to enjoy being the center of a lot of attention and posed for many a photograph! 3. (2008) Jimmie Johnson is no Cale Yarborough. Yes, JJ and Chad are very good and there is no denying what they have done. However, when a sport has changed the point system as drastically as NASCAR has, it's like saying the '07 Patriots were better than the '72 Dolphins simply because they won more games! (2009) OK, I still stand by statement, but now that Jimmie has four Cups, I actually feel a bit sorry for him. While NASCAR wants you to believe that his feat is the greatest thing to ever, ever happen in the history of all sports, those that really know anything about racing really do look at it with an asterisk. The playoff format has altered the overall approach to racing so much that we will never know how good Jimmie really is. But we do know that the No. 48 team has this system down pat, and essentially uses the first 26 races as a way to beat the testing ban! 2. (2008) Thank you, Dale Jarrett for being my NASCAR hero for all those years. If you thought Tony Stewart got a bit teary eyed last Sunday, you should have seen me during the spring Bristol race! (2009) Of all the folks that do any broadcasting of the races throughout the year over the various networks, I have to say that Jarrett and Andy Petree are by far the least annoying. Neither have a tendency to say foolish things or act goofy. Unfortunately, we did lose the great Bill Weber from the booth halfway through the year. (That is heavy sarcasm, for those of you that are a fan of it!) 1. (2008) The best thing about the whole 2008 season? Meeting a very special and beautiful Canadian nurse whose favorite driver is the same as mine! At least that will cut down on future arguments on Sunday afternoon as to whose driver is best! Thank you, NASCAR! (2009) That pretty nurse? Yeah, we're still an item! After attending several races together at various venues, she still seems to like me … except when I snore. Then, she hits! Overall, a small price to pay for a partner that enjoys the same stuff that you do! Also, a HUGE THANK YOU must go out to all the faithful readers of the Top Ten! Whether you agreed with my lists this last year or not, you kept on coming back. I hope it has been entertaining. Thank you very much!
Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,
Your Nascar Momma Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." -Dale Earnhardt - 1998 | 
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