Happy Thursday! Picture yourself cruising in Tony's 2010 Camaro Coupe 2SS. It's a "Summit White", list price at over $35,000! Tony asked Will Castro of Unique Autosports to work his magic and add a few customizations! Buy a ticket for $50 – you'll be entered to win the Grand Prize including the Camaro, A VIP Trip to Stewart-Haas Racing and a personal meet & greet with Tony!!! 70 Early Bird prizes starting March 15th. Get 'em while you can!!!! Just go to www.smokescamaro. Quote of the Day It was pretty obvious to me NASCAR wanted to do a green-white- -- Jeff Gordon Bits and Pieces Hot off the twitter account….Scott and Amanda Speed are expecting! More info to come! Clarifying The "Fin Rule": A number of Sirius Speedway listeners and readers have asked about the apparent disparity in the so-called "shark fins" used by Sprint Cup teams last weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Some teams elected to use the full-length fin, running from the top of the rear window to the rear spoiler. Others ran smaller fins, or no fin at all on the trunk lid. NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston provided a clarification of the new rule today, saying that the rear deck fin will not become mandatory until the series races at Texas Motor Speedway on April 18. Fins will be mandated to be 3.5" tall, and must be at least 17" in length. Teams may run any length fin from the 17" minimum to the full 25" version, tailoring the length to help fine tune the handling characteristics of their cars. Full (25 inch) fins will be mandatory at both Talladega and Daytona.(Sirius Speedway) Stremme back in the #26 at Phoenix: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owner Bill Jenkins of Vermont-based Latitude 43 Motorsports confirmed to Vermont Motorsports Magazine that David Stremme will continue to drive the #26 Ford at Phoenix International Raceway on April 10. The Subway Fresh Fit 600 will be Stremme's third-straight race with Latitude 43. Following Boris Said in the first four races of the year, Stremme raced the Air National Guard car for the team at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 21 and at Martinsville Speedway on Monday. After getting caught in a lap-170 crash that forced the team to replace the car's radiator, Stremme retired from Martinsville in 37th place with a broken rear gear. Despite the bad finish, Jenkins was impressed with his driver. "I couldn't be more happy with David," said Jenkins. "He ran as fast as anyone in the field, even with a damaged car. There was no qutting in him, even though the race didn't go that well for us." Jenkins said that Stremme is going to pilot the car at Phoenix, but that Said remains with team: "We're excited for David to race at Phoenix, but Boris is still a very important part of this team. We'll take it one race at a time." First-year owner Jenkins said that he wasn't happy to have a wrecked race car at Martinsville, but was thrilled with his team's performance under pressure, led by crew chief Frank Stoddard of North Haverhill, N.H. "Watching Frankie Stoddard and his crew repair the car was a marvel to behold," said Jenkins. "They got the radiator changed and fixed everything else from the crash in about 35 laps, which isn't a lot of time at Martinsville. Nobody quits on this team, they all did an incredible job." (Vermont Motorsports Magazine) Richard Petty and John Andretti to run Indy 500 again: Andretti Autosport announced it will work in a joint effort with racing legend Richard Petty and Window World, Inc., to field a fifth IZOD IndyCar Series entry for veteran driver John Andretti, first at Kansas Speedway on May 1 and then in the 2010 Indianapolis 500 on May 30. After his debut run at Kansas, John will attempt to make his 11th Indianapolis 500 start behind the wheel of the #43 Team Window World car. A successful qualifying attempt for John on May 22 or 23 will deepen the Andretti family legacy at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he drives for the team owned by his cousin, Michael. Window World will enjoy its second-consecutive Indy 500 as primary sponsor of the #43. Window World and Petty first teamed together with the #43 driven by John for last year's Indy 500. The car will once again feature Petty's traditional "Petty Blue" and "Day-Glo Red" color scheme made famous by "The King" during his unparalleled career. The car will also sport the marks of Window World Cares, the charitable foundation of Window World, Inc., which supports St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Petty, a racing icon and one of the most-recognizable figures in NASCAR history, will be participating in his second-straight Indianapolis 500. A 200-time NASCAR race winner and seven-time NASCAR champion, Petty witnessed the Indianapolis 500 in person for the first time in 2007 and participated as a co-owner for the first time last year.(Andretti Autosport/Breaking Limits) New book about Bill France Jr.: A new book about the life of Bill France Jr. is available in stores now. Written by H.A. Branham, NASCAR's Director of Written Communications, with a foreword from legendary newsman Tom Brokaw, the book chronicles France's role in NASCAR's early years prior to taking over for his father, through his battle with cancer and his mentoring of son and current Chairman/CEO Brian France. Known as a strong leader and colorful character, the stories in this book detail both sides. For example, from the book: "Bill Jr.'s speeches were sometimes spiced with witticisms that became known as "Billisms." They were short and often politically incorrect. But no matter how they were perceived, they were universally understood whenever they were uttered. One of his favorites, to describe the importance of everyone "being on the same page" when it came to an idea: "We gotta all be pissin' through the same straw." More info at NASCAR.com. Special Long John Silver's scheme for Kvapil: Front Row Motorsports and Long John Silver's will once again partner this season to help bring the popular Long John Silver's $1 Baja Fish Taco to NASCAR fans across the nation. Long John Silver's announced that its $1 Baja Fish Taco colors will be the primary sponsor of the #34 Ford driven by Travis Kvapil; Kvapil will carry these colors at the Autism Speaks 400 at the Dover International Speedway on May 16 and the All-Star Showdown at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 22. (Front Row Motorsports/ Gordon's frustration hits boiling point David Newton/espn. MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Jeff Gordon went into a brief profanity-laced meltdown over his in-car radio as Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag on Monday at Martinsville Speedway. He was mad that the final caution came when he was about a hundred yards from taking the white flag and winning in regulation. He was mad that Matt Kenseth slammed into the rear of his No. 24 car on the first lap of the green-white- He was mad that NASCAR even called the final caution that forced overtime. You might have missed that last one in the emotion of Hamlin's late charge, the winner's postrace talk about his torn ACL (which is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday) and Gordon's tirade against Kenseth. But the four-time champion may have been madder at NASCAR than anything. Since he couldn't slam the governing body into the wall like he slammed Kenseth to make sure he didn't win, he took a pointed shot at officials in his postrace press conference. "It was pretty obvious to me NASCAR wanted to do a green-white- "One spinout and they threw the caution in the blink of an eye. I think it was pretty obvious what they wanted." Welcome to the new world of manufactured excitement. Since NASCAR vice president for competition Robin Pemberton said "have at it, boys," hoping to encourage drivers to show more aggressiveness and emotion, three of six races have ended in green-white- The drivers understand they can take more chances than ever thanks to the rule that gives them three shots instead of one at finishing under green. They know they might significantly improve their position as Dale Earnhardt Jr. did at Daytona and Atlanta, which had two green-white- It's the equivalent of double-overtime games in the NCAA tournament, but this version of March Madness lasts from February to November. "You've got to go with what their decisions are," Gordon said. "It's a Monday race. A lot of fans came out here, so certainly a great finish for them. Just unfortunate it took away from an opportunity for us because we definitely had that win had that caution not come out there at the end." Gordon doesn't throw stuff out there for the heck of it. He's usually calculated with anything he says to the media. This sounded calculated, or at least well thought out. NASCAR won't ever admit it wanted a green-white- Officials will tell you the caution came out quicker for Busch's spinout on the next-to-last lap than for the two earlier incidents -- when Elliott Sadler spun out and Marcos Ambrose got into the wall -- because the idle 18 car posed a greater safety concern. Gordon obviously doesn't buy that. He even may raise an eyebrow that it was Hamlin's teammate who brought out the final caution, but he didn't mention that one so we won't press the issue. Kerry Tharp, NASCAR's director of communications for competition, indicated the reason for that last caution was clear. "The caution was displayed because the No. 18 car got into the wall and was coming back down into the racing groove," Tharp wrote in an e-mail Tuesday. "Period." As much as you understand Gordon's frustration, you have to admit the finish was spectacular. The end of almost every race this season has had some sort of drama -- from Earnhardt's charging to second behind Jamie McMurray at Daytona, to Carl Edwards' sending Brad Keselowski into an aerial backflip that shook up the order at Atlanta, to Jimmie Johnson's great moves when he went from sixth to first in three laps for the win at Bristol, to Monday's race delayed a day by rain. Some of it was manufactured by "have at it, boys," some of it by double-file restarts that were implemented last season, and some of it by multiple green-white- Unfortunately for Gordon, he's been on the short end of the excitement twice. He finished third at Las Vegas because he took two tires on the final pit stop while Johnson took four. He finished third again on Monday after seemingly outsmarting Hamlin by not pitting. That is frustrating, sometimes maddening for a driver who has 82 career wins. It is more frustrating since it's been 35 races, almost an entire season, since Gordon has been to Victory Lane. Crew chief Steve Letarte did his best to refocus his driver, saying, "We're going to win a bunch. Just do what you're doing." Gordon did calm down. He even flashed that Hollywood smile a few times as he stood on pit road with the other three drivers who finished behind Hamlin. He understood from a big-picture scenario it was a good day, that he moved up four spots in the points to seventh. But Gordon wants to win. He wants to win badly, and that showed painfully as he watched Hamlin take the checkered. It showed again as he bowed his head after glancing at the media center television where Hamlin was celebrating in Victory Lane. "It's frustrating, "That's how quick and easy things can change in this sport. You know, it's something that I'll laugh about tomorrow." He probably did. But he made his point first. For Paul Menard, steady as he goes By Jim Utter/thatsracin. Greg Biffle is the only Sprint Cup Series driver who has finished in the Top 10 in all six races this season. And he believes at least part of that credit goes to Paul Menard. Yes, Paul Menard. "Paul has shown skill all along that he can drive," Biffle said. "To be perfectly honest with you, we copied his entire set-up into our car at the (Charlotte) test. I think there are a lot of factors to him running well." Menard, 29, is in his fourth season racing full time in the Cup series and hasn't finished better than 26th in the series standings. But his move to Richard Petty Motorsports and the Ford camp this season is already paying dividends for him and his new Ford teammates. Menard is 11th in points, one of three Ford drivers in the Top 12 and the only one from RPM. That's a better performance than some much bigger names such as Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin or Kyle Busch. Menard's stats aren't spectacular but they are consistent - he hasn't finished worse than 18th and has completed 100 percent of all laps raced. "Our cars are driving better this year than what we had last year and it's shown for all eight Fords in our camp," Menard said. "We've made big gains, but the hard work is still in front of us and we just have to keep on digging." While the Cup series is off this weekend, Menard's work continues. He is also running full time this season in the Nationwide Series, which is running Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway. In four Nationwide starts this season, Menard is fourth in points with a pair of Top 10 finishes at Daytona and Las Vegas. He is driving the No. 98 Ford fielded by Roush Fenway Racing. Menard's only win in NASCAR's three national series - Cup, Nationwide and Trucks - came in the 2006 Nationwide race at Milwaukee, near his hometown of Eau Claire, Wis. Since moving to the Cup series, Menard has driven for Dale Earnhardt Inc. and last season for Yates Racing. RPM purchased much of Yates' assets in the offseason in a deal that included Menard and his team moving to the RPM organization. While Menard's location is new this year, his association with Ford teams is not. RPM joined the Ford camp in the offseason as part of its restructuring. "Last year, the Yates camp and the Roush Fenway camp... were struggling bad, so you're trying to find out that next hot thing and it might not be there," Menard said. "This year we're just back to basics and getting solid cars built at the shop and trusting the simulation programs while talking common knowledge that has worked in the past and apply it and improve on it." Menard insists its not his driving style or commitment that has changed. "Every race car driver pushes themselves 100 percent, whether you're running 35th or fifth. I'm driving the same way and we just have resources and tools and teammates and a lot of smart people I can lean on," he said. "We're all competitors and nobody wants to lay down and give a half-hearted effort. Everyone wants to give 100 percent and do the best job they can do personally." Seven ways Kyle Busch could celebrate a win at Nashville – instead of smashing another guitar By Bob Pockrass/scenedaily Kyle Busch will have not just one chance to smash a guitar this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. He'll have two now that both the Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series visit the track and Busch is entered in both events. Even if he wins, it's doubtful Busch will actually smash one of the track's famous guitar trophies again, as he did when he won the Nationwide race there last June, stirring up all kinds of controversy. The idea to smash the guitar was not to show disrespect toward the track or artist Sam Bass, who designed the guitar, but to celebrate like a rock star and give a piece of the trophy to everyone on his team. It certainly didn't come off that way, angering Bass, track officials and drawing the ire of fans, especially those in Nashville, who considered it a personal insult. The whole uproar over the guitar seemed kinda silly, but fans and track officials apparently think the guitar trophy is truly something special. Nashville Superspeedway officials don't even want to talk about contingency plans for this year or what could happen if Busch wins again. Sensitive, sensitive. Busch is a creative dude and should be able to figure out how to celebrate without creating an uproar if he wins there again. But here are seven ideas for how he could celebrate: 1. Play the guitar. Actually, that probably isn't the best idea. For some reason, it's hard to visualize Busch playing a guitar. And could you imagine him trying to sing? 2. Bow to the guitar. Busch could have one of his team members hold the guitar up over the truck or car, and then the rest of the team could bow to it. That might seem like a sarcastic response to the angry reaction of fans last year, but it could be kinda funny. And Busch does sarcasm well. Hmm. 3. Have a fake trophy ready to smash. This is probably the best idea and one that would fit Busch's style the most. Have a guitar ready. Smash it. Have everyone boo him. And then have the real trophy brought out for the official celebration. 4. Invite kids from the grandstands to smash the trophy. Let's say Busch still really wants the trophy smashed into pieces to give to his team. He could invite kids from the stands to do it. No one would boo kids, and kids love to smash things. Busch could then sign a piece of the trophy and give it to each kid who helped. Who could argue with that? 5. Let Sam Bass smash Busch's truck or car. Turnabout is fair play, right? Maybe they could negotiate a trade. Busch smashes the guitar and Bass gets a couple of swings with a hammer on the car or truck. Obviously Busch owns the truck and can do whatever he wants with it, but getting approval from Joe Gibbs to smash the car might be tough. 6. Use the guitar to smash a bobblehead of former University of Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin, who left the school to coach at the University of Southern California. It might damage the guitar a little, but Tennessee fans would love it. Anyone who disrespects Kiffin is probably granted immunity from punishment or ridicule in Tennessee. 7. Celebrate normally, holding the infamous guitar over his head. But what's fun about that? Coming off victory at Bristol, Penske Racing's Justin Allgaier now a serious contender in Nationwide Series By Bob Pockrass/scenedaily Justin Allgaier came into the Nationwide Series in 2009 with little experience in the series but with expectations that he should run well considering he was driving for Penske Racing. And whether he ran well in his rookie season is debatable. He finished sixth in the standings with three top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 35 starts. But a victory eluded him. "Last year, I don't know that I felt like I had to win a race, but we wanted to win one really bad," Allgaier said. "A win would have solidified a great rookie season for us, but we didn't get that. … I wouldn't say frustrated was the right word – I was more disappointed [not winning]." During the offseason, Allgaier and crew chief Chad Walter talked about what they needed to do to get better and win races. They got their first win just four races into the 2010 season as the 23-year-old Allgaier won March 21 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Not only did it help Allgaier move to third in the Nationwide standings, it solidified him as a championship contender and made him one of the favorites Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway, a headline event with the Sprint Cup Series off this weekend. "The sky is the limit for this kid," Walter said. "We just unleashed a monster. He has got a little confidence now. That's a great thing. Look out. This kid can win. … He's got talent." Allgaier has been driving since age 5 and made his name in racing circles in open-wheel cars – at age 14 he was the youngest driver ever to make the finals of the Chili Bowl, one of the biggest Midget events of the season. He began a transition to stock cars in 2003 and ran three full seasons in ARCA, winning the title in 2008 with six victories. "A couple of months before everything went down at Penske Racing and we won the championship, my dad said, 'Look, this is probably the last year we're going to be able to run at the level that we're running at. We're going to have to cut back,'" Allgaier said. "I worked really hard and all the guys worked really hard and we won races. … I never could have dreamed anything like this. It's something you wish for growing up." Admittedly a little nervous when he first met team owner Roger Penske, Allgaier probably can be a little less nervous now that he's won a race. "We hired Justin because we saw how well he ran in ARCA and the type of person he is," Penske said. "We want people who support the team. We have one team, not six teams. Justin fit that mold. "The support his family has given him in his bringing up is the kind of person that would develop within our team. He wanted to win races last year and had some tough times. … Now, where he has someone to talk to [in Keselowski] about what his car is doing, has been a big help. This step [with the win] is what he needs. The confidence. You're always close, but if you haven't won that race, you need that." Allgaier and the 26-year-old Keselowski give Penske two young drivers, albeit with different styles. Keselowski won four Nationwide races and one Cup race a year ago but rubbed some other drivers the wrong way with his aggressive driving style. Avoiding the spotlight last year, Allgaier didn't make any enemies but also didn't make many daring moves on the track, either. "I've always been, not necessarily a patient driver, but I've never tried to be a dirty driver," Allgaier said. "When it comes to passing guys, it's tough especially at a place like this [at Bristol]. We had a good enough car, it didn't warrant having to move people out of the way at all." In the victory at Bristol, Allgaier passed Keselowski for the lead on a restart with 27 laps remaining. "He's learned a lot," Penske said. "He's getting better and better. … He drove it hard. He drove it clean. And I think he's got a great future with us." Recent Races Produce Empty Feelings Rick Minter | Senior Writer, RacinToday.com These are some strange, eerie times in the world of NASCAR. Despite all the rules changed in the offseason to jazz up the racing, attendance keeps falling, and in a big way. Even more strangely, no one seems to want to talk – or write – about it. Not only did Bristol Motor Speedway end its string of some 50 straight sellouts, it didn't even come close. Depending on whose estimate you believe, there were 30,000 or more empty seats for the Food City 500. FOX broadcaster Darrell Waltrip tried to put a positive spin on it, saying during the broadcast: "There are still 100,000 people here." But the problem is the place seats more than 160,000. At Martinsville, a track that in the past has had remarkable success getting fans to come back on Monday after a Sunday rain-out, there appeared to be more empty seats than full ones. And there weren't many in the stands when the race was called on Sunday. Those two tracks should have benefited more than any from NASCAR telling the boys to "Have at it" and from the Carl Edwards-Brad Keselowski incident at Atlanta. It also appears that the attendance issues are even more troubling in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series. The TV ratings are another big question mark, but they've suddenly become awfully hard to find after being readily available on the Net for years. So what's the problem? It's totally unscientific, but here are some possibilities. NASCAR's core audience is being hammered by the Great Recession far more than any numbers reveal. The unemployment numbers, while bad, don't count the construction worker who's working a day or two a week where he or she used to get five or six. They don't show people who have taken lesser paying jobs, with paychecks that don't have room for race tickets. Hotel and motel prices around race tracks still are unreasonable, and even with discounted tickets at most tracks, it's still expensive to attend a race. There's a disconnect among core fans and the drivers of today. Part of the allure of NASCAR back in the day was the idea that the mechanic and dirt track racer next door could one day become a NASCAR star. But while the boys and girls next door can make it to American Idol, they can't make it to NASCAR unless they've got big bucks behind them and the looks to be the spokesperson for a sponsoring company. As Jeff Gordon pointed out in a recent interview, a raw, unwashed talent like Dale Earnhardt would have a tough time getting into NASCAR today. "They're going to have to win a lot, be really spectacular on the track," Gordon said. "Sponsors are driving the sport. It's gotten expensive, and you have to have a sponsor." He pointed out that sponsors often prefer marketability over driving talent. He said some sponsors say: "We'd rather have this guy, even if he doesn't win as much because we can market him." The inevitable late-race caution and up to three tries at a green-white- Why spend an afternoon watching racing that becomes old news as soon as the caution waves with 10 to go and a major league race becomes a Saturday night heat race? Jimmie Johnson's dominance is hurting the sport. The only real problem from a fan's standpoint is there's really nothing to dislike about him. What NASCAR needs is a rivalry, but again, as Gordon pointed out, neither he nor the majority of drivers out there today can be Johnson's rival because to have a rivalry, there has to be a stark difference in the two major players. "You have to have the black and white," he said. "One over here and represents something more conservative or younger, whatever it may be. Then this one over there represents the core fan, the good ol' boys and people who have been following the sport for years." For me, the most encouraging sign in recent weeks is that in an interview with Gordon, he seemed to recognize and appreciate the importance to NASCAR of its long-time good 'ol boy audience. Who would have ever thought back in the days of the intense rivalry between the Intimidator and Wonder Boy that Wonder Boy would grow up to be the one pointing out the importance of the Intimidator's old fan base? Holding a Pretty Wheel Amy Henderson · Frontstretch. Racing? At Victory Junction, Earnhardt Is About So Much More Sometimes, it's not about the racing. In fact, at Victory Junction it wasn't even allowed to be on Saturday — the ground rules for the press conference, according to host Kyle Petty, included, "No stupid racing questions." And everyone complied, because despite the principals being all about NASCAR, driving fast and turning left wasn't on anybody's mind. To some, the day represented a gift — one given from the heart. To others, it was an opportunity to meet their hero, who was glad to oblige. To more, it was about escaping reality for a short time, and enjoying a fleeting childhood for a little while longer. On Saturday, not far from Martinsville Speedway where the Truck Series was all about the racing, people gathered on a hillside, sitting on bales of hay under a spectacular spring sky. It was a family weekend at Victory Junction Gang Camp, and campers, their parents, and siblings sang along and taught other guests camp cheers, while a group of drummers set rhythms for clapping. Every face had a smile on it. That's one thing about Victory Junction — you can't be there and not smile. The other guests were members of Junior Nation, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s huge fan club, winners of a contest who gathered at camp for a glimpse of their hero. Some came from as far as Nebraska and Iowa for the day. Once inside the gates, everyone was given a wristband and escorted to the Kurt Busch Superdome, the site of some of the day's festivities. Richard Petty smiled and posed with fans, gracious as always. You know … the Petty smile that is almost as much a family legacy as the racing itself. Adam Petty had that smile, too. But after exchanging pleasantries, everyone was herded outside to sit on the sun-painted hillside with the campers for the day's main event — the groundbreaking for an amphitheater that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is donating to the camp. Excitement was on the air as Earnhardt's helicopter descended from the sky, fresh from Cup practice at Martinsville. Kyle and Pattie Petty were already on hand, along with the camp "sheriff," a ridiculously cute Shetland pony wearing a cowboy hat and holsters. Their Victory Junction Gang Camp opened in 2004. The dream of Adam Petty — professional sports' first fourth generation athlete — the camp was built in his honor after Petty was killed in a practice crash for a then-Busch Series race in New Hampshire. Petty was just 19 years old then, but already he had formed a dream beyond racing, a place for children with chronic illnesses or physical disabilities to go and have fun for a week and still receive medical care. It's a place where they could just be kids, be like everyone else – not the only one with an illness or disability. Racing took Adam Petty and gave the opportunity for Victory Junction — a sadly ironic juxtaposition. Petty's memory is everywhere, but it's impossible to be sad. From the darkness of his loss came a glimmer of hope that grew stronger as more and more of the NASCAR community came on board. While many campers don't follow NASCAR, the sport's influence is all over camp. There are race cars everywhere — Kurt Busch's car is on the patio roof of the building he donated. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon's cars look to be fighting for position on the roof of the dining hall, called the "Fuel Stop," and inside is the race truck of Ricky Hendrick, another young racer lost too soon. An orange Home Depot car overlooks the Tony Stewart Maze. Johnson's also sits atop the bowling alley his foundation paid for. And Adam Petty's car dwarfs them all — one building is a giant stock car made of cement, painted in Adam's rainbow paint scheme. But racing isn't on the campers' minds most days — there is too much to do and see to spend much time looking over the cars! Campers ride horses, practice archery, put on a talent show, play in the water park, and engage with counselors in messy food warfare on the central lawn. Sometimes, they dress up in the giant likeness of Michael Waltrip outside the gym in things like hula skirts, but they don't discuss his races while they do it. And despite the illnesses that the campers have, there is hardly a moment that passes without smiles on every face. Reaching the top of the climbing tower, catching a fish in the pond (it's strictly "catch, kiss, and release," of course!), or beating the volunteers at a game of HORSE in the gym all bring grins. Marshmallow fights at bedtime and water gun wars on Cabin Row bring peals of laughter and screams of delight. Most of the tears are reserved for the end of the week, when it's time to leave, though there are sometimes other times for tears — when a former camper loses a battle with his or her illness, everyone wishes a little harder on the stars overhead. But camp, despite the losses that have come, is about life and celebrating every moment to the fullest. It's a lesson we could all stand to remember from time to time. Which brings us to Saturday and Earnhardt. Earnhardt, Jr. is a music fan, so his gift will be a place for campers to gather to see performers and sing songs of their own. Earnhardt donated a million dollars for the project. Not the Dale Jr. Foundation, which has already contributed countless dollars to charities – but Earnhardt himself. The arrival of NASCAR's Most Popular Driver was greeted with cheers from campers and fans alike. Kyle Petty gave a brief introduction, and Earnhardt spoke to the crowd for a few minutes. When the speech was over, the campers presented him with a special gift — a tiny baby goat, also named Junior, who lost its mother and had to be raised by hand with round-the-clock bottle feedings. Now thriving, the four-legged Junior was presented to his namesake who was instantly and obviously enamored. After the formal groundbreaking, the campers went back to their camp activities — the day was not over, and there was clearly more fun to be had. The fans who had won the contest moved back inside for a brief press conference, where everyone was reminded: "No stupid racing questions." For the fans, it was a chance to meet their hero up close, and Earnhardt didn't disappoint. He spent time signing autographs and chatting with fans — something not one is likely to forget soon. Gone was the pressure of the race track — this was Junior in his element, doing something for others at a place built for nothing but fun. That made this press conference one of the better ones in recent memory — maybe because there were no stupid racing questions. But what resonated the most was the words that Pattie Petty said to Earnhardt, Jr. — words that summed up exactly what Victory Junction Camp is about. She reminded him that the racing doesn't matter — that if he never won another race, his Daddy would be proud, and Adam would always look up to him. And she was right. Because sometimes, it isn't about the racing at all. Wrong Call On Right Move Larry Woody | Senior Writer, RacinToday.com Isn't it fun when the experts are wrong? Fox Sports commentators Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds both said Denny Hamlin had blown it when he ducked in for tires with just a few laps to go Monday at Martinsville. They declared – and I'm paraphrasing – it was an incredibly bone-headed call that would cost Hamlin the race. We all know what happened. Hamlin made an amazing charge, elbowed past the leaders, and won the race. So much for the "experts." Wonder if Darrell and Larry like their crow broiled or fried? Hamlin's Martinsville Miracle Despite Misguided Media didn't start with his amazing finish. Earlier in the week an "expert" web writer had declared that Denny had blown the season by postponing his knee surgery. The writer said Hamlin made a mistake by not taking care of his bum knee before the season started. By waiting to have surgery during the season (claimed the expert) he was hampered by his bad knee and couldn't drive competitively. So what happened? Hamlin won a tough race on brake-demanding Martinsville, bad knee be-darned. Again, I don't want to be hard on the web wizard; conventional wisdom called for Hamlin to get his knee fixed before the season, rather than try to grit it out. But once again, conventional wisdom is not always wise. I recall that early last season another website columnist wrote that Mark Martin had made a big mistake by coming out of semi-retirement to race full-time again. The columnist explained that he was fond of Martin and hated to see him embarrass himself by trying to keep up with kids half his age. Mark was too old, too rusty, and should have stayed in his rocking chair where he belonged. Again, we all saw what happened: Mark suddenly began driving like a teenager on prom night. He won an incredible five races and finished an even more amazing second in the championship standings. It was one of the most inspiring runs in NASCAR history. Thank goodness Mark didn't pay any attention to the goofy columnist who thought he'd made a mistake by saddling up again. That goofy columnist was, uh, me. I have some excellent crow recipes I can pass along to Waltrip and McReynolds. Spoiler could be Cup's 'game-changer' Associated Press MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- The reappearance of the spoiler on the back of the Sprint Cup cars at Martinsville Speedway drew high praise from many drivers because it makes the cars look better. Where opinion differed is when the spoiler's impact will be felt on the track. At just 0.526 miles around, Martinsville didn't allow for enough speed for the spoiler to have much of an effect beyond aesthetics. Though speeds will be higher at the next stop, Phoenix International Raceway on April 10, the spoiler's influence on the racing is still likely to be marginal. That will change at the high-banked, high-speed 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway on April 18, where the aerodynamic and handling impact of the change will be put to its first true test. "I've said from the beginning that I think going to a spoiler could be a real game-changer, A two-day test at Charlotte Motor Speedway "felt like a normal test," Burton said, but also highlighted how some teams adapted much more quickly to the spoiler than others did. "I don't think the dynamics of that is going to change," he said at Martinsville. "But it could change who is running well and who isn't running well. Any time there is a change, there is a risk of losing the good that you had, but there is also the chance of gaining something good that you didn't have, and that's going to affect every team differently. In a series where many weekends are spent with drivers discussing what they can do to slow the dominance of four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson, that may offer hope. Besides the record four titles in a row, he's won three of six races this season, and his ninth-place finish at Martinsville on Monday moved him into first place in the points race. Then again, Johnson leads all drivers with 22 victories in the 94 races NASCAR has run using the spoiler on cars, and he thinks its impact will be negative, especially in a pack. "What I kind of predict is that the car is going to be more difficult to drive in traffic," he said, noting that's how it was before. "I've heard a lot of people mention that that's going to make for better racing, and I'm just not buying that as of now." During the test at Charlotte, he said, drivers got a feel for the spoiler, but he never raced anyone, ran side-by-side with anyone or tried to pass another car during the test. "Texas will be the weekend when we find out what's up," he said. Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon is on the other side, welcoming the change. He thinks more has gone into the decision to make the switch than mere performance issues. "One thing we've learned, and NASCAR has learned, is that perception means a lot to the fans and the media," he said. "We've had some great racing over the years with the rear wing, but I've never been crazy about the way it looks. I will say the spoiler looks really good." NASCAR's first spoiler test came at 2.66-mile Talladega, the biggest, fastest oval on the circuit, and the series called teams in several times to alter settings on the cars. Among the changes were alterations to the size of the carburetor restrictor plates, which limit horsepower to control speeds at the 200-mph tracks, and the size and shape of the spoilers. Drivers came away pleased with the results, feeling like one of the desired effects of the spoiler -- keeping cars from going airborne -- would improve safety for them and fans. But they also left somewhat in the dark about what settings NASCAR will mandate when the series returns on April 25 to the track where spectacular crashes have often been the norm. That race could wind up as another test of how well teams adapt on the fly. "They really haven't decided on a spoiler, gear or a restrictor plate size," said Kurt Busch, a big proponent of the change. "We won't really know until we show up. "That is going to be the tough part about it." The Voice of Vito Vito Pugliese · Frontstretch. Doing What's Right and Doing What Matters: What NASCAR Can Use More and Less Of With the Martinsville race pushed back to Monday, it shelved Voice of Vito for this week. I know, all of you are crushed… I don't blame you, since not only am I single and devastatingly handsome, but I can wield a keyboard like Bill Jordan could a Model 19 Smith & Wesson. All kidding aside, (except the single and really, really good looking part…) it did give me an extra day to think about my lone off-week topic. With the series headed for Easter break, let's take a break of our own and look at some of what NASCAR needs more of — as well as decidedly less of — after six races of 2010: What NASCAR Doesn't Need: Goofy Aerodynamic Devices I know that myself and many others on this site have railed against this for neigh on three years now, as has just about any other race fan worth their salt. The CoT itself was always a bit confusing to me. It seemed as if the more logical approach would have been to make the driver's compartment slightly larger on the original car, and do away with the cock-eyed body offset, making it square and true as one would expect a road course car to appear. That aside, the wing always reeked of a shameless attempt to pander to the Fast & The Furious crowd – the same bunch that equips a 1.8-liter powered Honda Civic with a 4" Folgers fart can muffler, dragon graphics, and the aforementioned erector set wing. There was never really a cut and dried explanation given for changing something that is not used in any other NASCAR Series (Grand Am doesn't count), so its demise has been a welcome one. What NASCAR Needs: A Reminder of Real Race cars This statement in itself is a bit of an oxymoron, because in just about every other racing series, a NASCAR stock car is considered anything but a "real race car". That being said, it is very heavy, uses pushrod engines with a carburetor, the suspension and rear end from a Ford truck nearly half-a-century old, 15-inch wheels, and 10.5-inch wide tires. Whatever. Nothing else sounds like a pack of 43 of these bastards wide open coming around to take the first lap at Talladega, or decelerating into Turn 1 at Martinsville. Seeing the traditional blade spoiler back on the car last week at Charlotte as well as in race trim at Martinsville was a step in the right direction. The splitter, I guess I can live with; I don't particularly like it, but it seems to work OK in the Truck Series, so it is somewhat palatable. Back in action Monday, they looked like real race cars again, and not somebody trying to be something that they aren't, in a feeble attempt to impress somebody who really doesn't like them that much anyway. What NASCAR Doesn't Need: Ugly Race cars and Paint Schemes There is nothing worse than a car with a poorly executed paint scheme. The CoT has been a tough sell as it is, but mix in unappealing colors and hues, and it can make a Sunday that much more painful to endure. So as bad as I felt for Matt Kenseth first getting nudged from behind by Denny Hamlin – and then body slammed by Jeff Gordon – when his tire blew, sending him skittering up the track and into the wall during Monday's Green-White- That car is so gross, Grimace wouldn't be caught near it. Also, is it that hard for M&M's to design a car that doesn't look like a colorblind 8-year old designed it? Yeah, the animated M&M's that look scared on the back of the car are getting old. Why not just make it brown… like a bag of M&Ms. Another one that readily comes to mind is Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s No. 88 AMP Energy Chevrolet. I remember early on when he joined Hendrick Motorsports, he said he had a lot of input into the design and look of the car. Uh, sorry bud, but I would have probably kept that one a little closer to the vest. I realize the intent was to hearken back a bit to Darrell Waltrip's Mountain Dew No. 11 that he drove to Winston Cup Championships in 1981 and 1982, but this one missed the mark. Why not just run that old scheme to begin with? The new one clearly isn't working out, and is making these miserable seasons that much harder to deal with. There is an easy out here, and we all know what it is… but it's probably a road that Earnhardt doesn't want to drive down. At least just not yet. What NASCAR Needs: Good Looking Race cars and Paint Schemes Speaking of DW, seeing Darrell Waltrip's No. 11 Junior Johnson & Associates Mountain Dew Buick at the NASCAR Hall of Fame also sparked a flashback of sorts. Back in 1982, I was 5 years old and attended my first race at Michigan International Speedway. I can still remember riding my Big Wheel in the infield, and catching a glimpse of the cars as they flashed by, sitting atop the makeshift scaffolding in the bed of my dad's 1976 Dodge Powerwagon. It was back then that catching a race on television meant hoping that our local CBS station didn't black out a race for a Tiger's game, or head over to Grandpa and Grandma's, because they lived where cable was actually available. But I digress … seeing those type of beautiful schemes in person helped get me hooked long before I finished kindergarten. Some other examples of beautiful stock cars of the past that come to mind? Pretty much anything Richard Petty drove, but particularly his 1964 Plymouth Fury, 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner, and his 1987 Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2. The latter was a horrendously underpowered pig on the street, but in race trim looked downright hairy. I also always rather liked Rusty Wallace's Miller Lite cars from 1997-2000, while his dark blue machines from 2001-2005 were instant classics. Dale Earnhardt's 2000 Monte Carlo was a fresh shape at the time, and combined with the proper GM Goodwrench emblem on the hood – with a more discrete "Service Plus" underneath – it was a sight to behold as he just barely nipped Bobby Labonte at the line in Atlanta that year. The black scheme was also there for the improbable charge from 18th place to first with only five laps remaining at Talladega (and he didn't need multiple do-overs to make that happen.) Mark Martin's Valvoline Thunderbird from 1992-1995 was another iconic car of NASCAR's most recent "golden era" – so much so that it is being run on other Valvoline-sponsored cars this year driven by A.J. Allmendinger and Matt Kenseth. If only several other drivers would get the hint… What NASCAR Doesn't Need: Boring Racetracks Certain tracks lend themselves to putting on a good show, while others – and there are more than a few of them – do not. Which is why many are fearful that there will be an announcement forthcoming that Martinsville (or Atlanta) will be likely losing a date to Kansas. So while I certainly appreciate those fans in the heartland that attend the race weekends in Kansas, I don't think we need to axe a slice of our sport's history off the calendar to do so. While Joe Nemechek's .081-second win over Ricky Rudd was certainly something in 2004, and Carl Edwards' video game-attempt pass of Jimmie Johnson raised some eyebrows in 2008, the racing itself as a whole has been less than invigorating. When you think about all of the SportsCenter moments that have happened in Atlanta, a number of mental images cross the synapses like a pack of Black Cats in July: Dale Earnhardt, Sr. over Bobby Labonte in 2000, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon in 2001, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart's middle finger in 2007, and perhaps the watershed race of this era, the 1992 Hooters 500 that saw Alan Kulwicki beat Bill Elliott by 10 points for the championship in a race that would be decided by bonus points, with the two principles finishing first and second. It was Richard Petty's explosive last race and Jeff Gordon's Cup debut, while Davey Allison's harrowing year would be denied a deserved title by a spinning Ernie Irvan late in the going. So come on, Kansas. You're going to sacrifice all of this just for another date? Why not instead just move Atlanta to April or May so it's a little warmer, and maybe people will be willing to make a roadie out of it. What NASCAR Needs: Short Tracks, Old Tracks, Maybe Another Road Course If Monday's Goody's Fast Pain Reliever 500 wasn't confirmation enough that it should keep both of its dates, and that short tracks are still where it's at for stock cars, then I don't know what is. Judging by the number of hits and traffic to our site this week, the fans certainly share this opinion as well. Following a day of rain, thunderstorms, and even some severe weather in the surrounding areas, 40,000 people were still able to show up to the track on a Monday. Heck, some tracks are having a hard time making that happen on a Sunday. Sure, the finish was great, but the actual racing that happened all day long, the twists and turns of leaders having problems, drivers rallying back… it was a snapshot of the old days and what made NASCAR take precedence over mowing the lawn or visiting with family members at gatherings. The Southern 500 at Darlington is now about a month away at NASCAR's original superspeedway. In my opinion, you can't get more old school than a track whose design was the result of a minnow pond, and it never fails to provide a great race. One of the best I can remember was when The Lady In Black was host to a Chase race back in 2004, and I would readily sacrifice a date at another track (cough, Chicago, cough) to see one more held in Darlington during the playoffs. Another road course would be cool, too, I think. I know a lot of fans don't care for it, but watch highlights of an old race at Riverside, Watkins Glen, or Infineon when they would run the old carousel configuration. Those are just my ideas. I'm sure you have your own. Feel free to share them with me. We always love to hear from our readers, and if the earlier start times, return to a car that looks more traditional, and letting drivers duke it out don't catch your fancy, the people who run our sport like to get a gauge of your opinions as well. NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK
All times Eastern 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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