Thursday, February 28, 2008
A Few Days Off
Pardon me while I pause from posting...my husband had knee surgery done this past Tuesday and he will be coming home from the hospital this Friday. Needless to say, I will have my hands full...and then some.
Of course, if anything happens in the world of NASCAR that ticks me off beyond belief, I will post about it. But for the most part, I probably won't be back until Sunday with my usual scripture for the day.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:03 AM comment(s) made:
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Tuesday, February 26, 2008
I Need To Vent
So lend me your ears and give me a shoulder to cry on. Please.
Thanks to a weeping track, Dale Jr. went from 8th in the points to 23rd. He was the unlucky recipient on the wrong end of a spin from teammate Casey Mears, who spun due to water on the track.
As most of you know, the race was finally called at 2:00 am EST and yes, I stayed up till then. It had looked promising around 11:00 pm that they would get it going, and in all honesty they should not have done what they did on Sunday. They should just have postponed it until Monday and not even started it at all. But do they ever do the right thing?
I don't even want to think about all the fuel they wasted drying the track eleventy hundred times over the weekend. It seems that was all they were doing. So yeah, I sat there and watched; at least it was vehicles going in circles on a track. Worked for me.
In my opinion, NASCAR pulled another bonehead move...again. But they never own up to their mistakes. One of these days that will come back to bite them in the butt. They put every driver at risk when they started the race on Sunday afternoon. At least five cars were unnecessarily involved due to water seepage on the track. And the fact that one of those was Dale Jr. just makes me irritated all the more. And I have every right to be irritated.
NASCAR should be shot for what they put the drivers through.
NASCAR should be shot for making fans wait all day only to cancel at 11:00 pm PST.
NASCAR should be shot for penalizing Robby Gordon. When are they ever going to stop picking on him?
NASCAR should be shot for all the stupid things they do or don't do.
NASCAR should be shot period!
OK, there...I think it's all out of my system. Till next time. Vegas, please be a little kinder to my boy. Does anyone else think that little black cloud has followed him from last year? It too should be shot. Hmmmmm...I do have a license to carry.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:03 AM comment(s) made:
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Friday, February 22, 2008
Snow Is Coming! Snow Is Coming!
And it's due to hit us sometime after I post this starting around 1 AM Friday continuing into the early hours of Saturday morning. 'bout darn time, I say.
It will start as snow with a possibility of sleet and freezing rain later in the afternoon, then possibly changing back to snow. 5"-8" of snow, people! I'm so excited I cannot contain myself. Really.
Finally something to write home about. I'm so snow-starved it ain't even funny. I sit here and read all about everyone else across the country getting snow and lots of it, and this region ~ which is known for some doozy snow storms ~ hasn't gotten anything to sneeze at for years. I believe the last big ones were over ten years ago.
This one won't be anything like those, but it's better than nothing. Although we don't have to go out in it, we are planning on doing a little bit of shopping in the morning.
And for once, I hope the meteorologists are dead on with this storm. Because all the other storms have either missed us or given us little bitty amounts of snow. Although we did have a good ice storm last week. But that's different...I like me some snow ~ and lots of it.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:03 AM comment(s) made:
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Thursday, February 21, 2008
Abomination
The following (in quotes) is from one distributor, but I am assuming most all of them have similar wording:
"Motorsports Authentics, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and Richard Childress Racing are going to come together for one of the most historic motorsports unveilings in recent memory…. if not ever. As part of the Daytona 500 50th anniversary celebration, Motorsports Authentics and the above mentioned teams will release details about this one-of-a-kind marketing and licensing program celebrating NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. Aptly titled “Timeless,” this program honoring the “Intimidator” will resonate with NASCAR fans, collectors, historians and everyone in between."
I wrote about this a couple days ago but didn't really go into detail and I didn't have a picture at that time. And I really don't like to dwell on the subject because it gives me a pain in my heart, but here goes...
To me, this is the dumbest thing I have heard of in a long while. I know "she" contrived the idea first, ran to Richard Childress with it, he wasn't too keen on it and almost didn't agree, but he did; it was then presented to Motorsports Authentics. I heard it straight from Mr. Childress about his hesitation to go forward with the idea when he presented the car on QVC a few days ago.
When I first heard about it, I literally spit out whatever it was I was eating at the time. Too bad, because I also wanted to throw up and had nothing to throw up with. Anyone who thinks this is a good idea...well, I won't even go there. To each his own.
If those people mentioned above wanted to honor the late great Dale Earnhardt Sr., then they should have used the exact same car he drove to win the Daytona 500 back in 1998. I am sure more people would have bought that than will buy the CoT version. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Dale never laid eyes on a CoT, not in person and not on paper. The car and its concept did not exist in his time. So why in hell would they want to put something out on the market that is bogus to start with?
Well, I will tell you why. Remember whose idea it was in the first place? Yeah, it was her idea. She is so damned afraid the public will forget who Dale Earnhardt was. I was not a big fan of his but I will never forget him, and not just because he was Junior's father. I'm sure the majority of his enemies, if he had any, will never forget him either. And most of all, those that loved him dearly will never ever forget him. So why is she so damn worried?
Honor the man the right way... not with some dumb version of a car he never drove.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:03 AM comment(s) made:
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Tuesday, February 19, 2008
I'm In A State Of Confusion
(Photo courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports)Just what exactly does Dale Jr. have to do to gain a little respect from the majority of the media? These days he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. When he does good he's everybody's sweetheart; but let him finish ninth in the Daytona 500 and all of a sudden he's in deep trouble. Say what?
And that's what confuses me. How can the whole remainder of the season be judged by one race, and the first one at that? I truly believe a lot of those writers just like to see how many hits they can get on their sites when they write something derogatory about him.
I am going to try and justify that ninth place finish with the fact that it was their first points race, and I think Tony Eury Jr. just got mesmerized there at the end and couldn't make a proper call as to whether Junior should pit or not. At the very last second he told him to stay out. Most of the leaders came in. Had Junior been allowed to come in and get four fresh tires, I think he may have been a factor at the end, too. But we'll never know that. Anyway, I am hoping it was first race jitters. OK, I know they won the Shootout and also the first Duel qualifying race, but those weren't points races. They were fun races with no pressure. OK, I also am aware that the qualifying race was important, but Junior never has qualified well and he can start at the back of a race and still work his way to the front.
What it all comes down to in the end is that this is the first race of the season. The entire team still has a bit of time to grow as a team, a team that gels and comes together as one. They may be lacking that yet. But for heavens' sake let's allow them to do that before criticizing them and writing them off as one reporter (that I know of) has already done. He stated that because of what the team did or didn't do, that they won't even make the Chase, let alone win a race before the Chase. Well, mister, put your money where your mouth is...because you certainly have a big one.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:03 AM comment(s) made:
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Monday, February 18, 2008
Daytona 500
Congratulations to Ryan Newman on winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500.
Dale Jr. finished 9th. I was hoping for a better finish, but I am truly satisfied with what he accomplished overall considering what he went through during the entire race.
I watched the free DirecTV HotPass that concentrated solely on his car and team, including the communications between his spotter, his crew chief, and Dale Jr. Yeah, I heard some F-bombs and the S word and I thought it kind of cute that the audio was turned off after the word was said. Kind of like shutting the door after all the horses run out. Hey, I'm a grown-up, I can handle those words.
Listening in on everything can be sort of nerve-wracking because you get to hear all the things that go wrong. Like after the first caution when Dale Jr. said he felt a vibration the likes of which he'd never felt before. And then after another caution when he peeled onto pit lane and he broke his gear shifter knob off the lever, including the threads. And all I could think of was, I thought he left DEI.
Due to my watching HotPass, I really didn't get a grip on what was happening behind Junior for most of the race. I did see what happened after the fact though, but I will say here that I don't think I would want to tune into HotPass on a regular basis. This ole heart can't take much of that bad news.
At any rate, even though he finished 9th, he is 8th in the points, sitting only one point ahead of Robby Gordon. He earned 5 bonus points for leading a lap, and that explains why he is ahead of Robby.
So now all the SpeedWeeks hoopla is over and I can go back to some normalcy in my life. Until next week when we visit the Auto Club 500 in Fontana CA.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:03 AM comment(s) made:
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Saturday, February 16, 2008
I have a question...if a driver won his Championship while Winston was the NASCAR sponsor at the time, why aren't those drivers referred to as Winston Cup Champions? As in, Bill Elliott, Winston Cup Champion. Instead they were saying Nextel Cup Champion when Nextel became the NASCAR sponsor, and this year it will be the Sprint Cup Champion due to Sprint being the sponsor. And now Bill Elliott has become three different champions. It just makes no sense to me at all. And I really think it is very stupid.
But what is really stupid is the fact that this year they are all being referred to as Sprint Cup Champions, and we haven't even finished any races under the Sprint sponsorship. What's up with these people in NASCAR? I wish they would just refer to the drivers as the champion of their particular sponsor at the time they won the Championship. Is that so hard to do?
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And another thing that has me really ticked off is the latest thing Dale Earnhardt Sr's widow has done. (For the record, I refuse to acknowledge her by name; we all know who she is. And she has become quite the professional widow, hasn't she?)
What I'm referring to is the 10th Anniversary diecast of Dale Sr's 1998 Daytona 500 win using the CoT car! Why? He never saw that car, let alone drove it. What was wrong with honoring him with the car he actually drove to victory? What the hell is wrong with her? And why did Richard Childress go along with what she wanted? I don't think he cared for the idea until she talked him into it. And just where did she get that kind of power? Oh yeah, that's right...she did kick her step-son to the curb, so I guess she can do just about anything she wants.
Just for the record...I will never buy anything that puts money in that woman's pocket. Please, woman, let that poor man rest in peace already!
posted by Cheyenne at 1:06 AM comment(s) made:
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Friday, February 15, 2008
Two For Two
The Budweiser Shootout was won with the National Guard car. The first Duel 150 was won with the Amp Energy car. Does anyone still have questions as to how good he is?
The next step is Saturday's Nationwide Series race. Dale Jr. will be driving the #5 National Guard car. Let's hope he can make it three for three.
posted by Cheyenne at 1:05 AM comment(s) made:
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Thursday, February 14, 2008
Just Another Hurdle
All the Hendrick drivers had their engines changed "due to a lifter problem likely caused by a bad batch of coating." The rules state they must now start at the rear of the pack. I don't like it, but rules are rules.
Some drivers can get in a heap of trouble starting behind a lot of other drivers that must race their way into the Daytona 500 on Sunday. And those eager drivers will be hell bent for leather and will take more chances than they normally would. Add in the fact, too, that these CoT cars are in unfamiliar territory, having never raced at this track let alone in a field of 43 cars. The Budweiser Shootout had 23 drivers, and mostly top tier drivers at that.
I'm excited to see these duel races, finally, but not exactly eager to watch the possible carnage. With any luck at all, the Hendrick boys will escape any wrecks and help each other to the front where they can show their stuff. Ok, so I dilligently followed my driver over to the so-called "dark side" of Hendrick Motorsports. Big deal. I have been telling you all along that no matter where he went that I would follow. I don't care who he drives for, and to top it all off...I have become a follower of Casey, Jeff, and even Jimmie. And I'm not ashamed to admit it either.
Now, let's hope the Toyotas don't muddy up the show. I am also not ashamed to say that I do not like the idea of having Toyotas in NASCAR. Nope...just don't like the idea at all. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:03 AM comment(s) made:
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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Skeet Ulrich & Jericho
The long-awaited (for me anyway) second season of Jericho was on Tuesday evening.
The last episode of the first season was shown on May 9, 2007. That's a long wait from then till now. I am so glad they decided not to cancel the show after all. That's a very long story that I don't want to get into right now, but I had a tiny hand in helping to bring it back.
It was well worth the wait though. There will be six more episodes, and if enough people tune in each week it will be in the lineup for Fall this year.
Because they filmed only seven episodes, they were able to cram lots of excitement into each one instead of having to draw things out over a full season. And that makes for some pretty exciting viewing.
If you missed it, too bad. Tune in next Tuesday at 10:00 PM EST.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:35 AM comment(s) made:
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Monday, February 11, 2008
Hang On!
I have been scouring every article I can to read about Dale Jr's fabulous win in the Budweiser Shootout, and some of them are somewhat upsetting to me.
There are those people who think that Dale Jr was "given" that win. Think again. Any racecar driver on any given day would prefer to win above all else. Yes, they are often told by their owner to help their teammates during the race, but when it comes down to the last couple laps and they see that there is a possibility that they could win the race, they will try to make that happen. No one is told to give a race to a teammate. Ain't happenin'. Junior has enough laurels to rest on to make it on his own to win without someone being told to help him win.
Besides, circumstances in the Shootout put Junior in the right place at the right time. He fought to be in front, as he well deserved to be. He didn't get to the front while waiting to be pushed there until the very end when it counted, just like he did in 2004 to help Dale Jarrett win during the same race.
The one thing the Hendrick organization stresses is teamwork, and they simply showed us how it can and should be done. There is no doubt in my mind that Junior had that race won from the get-go, just as soon as he took command of that first spot. (But I still held my breath all the way to the end.)
The people who have discovered him within the past few years and have become his fans are in for a real treat. They haven't seen the real Dale Earnhardt Jr. Not the way I have seen him when he first hit the track. He used to start in the back and just slice and dice his way to the front. A lot of times he would purposely drop to the back so that he could pass other cars. He loved every minute of it. He was having fun and he was doing what he loved the best: racing.
Somewhere along the line, the bottom fell out. It wasn't just one thing that happened, but rather a lot of things that were out of his control. Given a decent car, he can work magic. But if that car sucks, like the ones the she-bitch was giving him this past year, there's not much can be done to make it work, no matter who the driver is.
I truly believe that Dale Jr is very capable of being as good as, if not better than, his father. Just give him time and he will prove me right.
Meanwhile, climb in, pull your straps tight, and hold on because you are in for one helluva season!
posted by Cheyenne at 3:03 PM comment(s) made:
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Saturday, February 09, 2008
So, Who won The Bud Shootout?
Damn straight it was Dale Earnhardt Jr!
What? You didn't think he would?
Well, shame on you.
Baby...he's back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by Cheyenne at 11:30 PM comment(s) made:
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Friday, February 08, 2008
Happy Days Are Here Again
Yes indeedy I certainly am smiling...and I will let you in on a little secret as to why: the racing season has started. Between SPEED channel and ESPN2, I am quite the happy camper. And I watched the drawing for positions in Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout. Junior drew position 7. He usually draws a number putting him way in the back of the pack, so I am glad to see his luck in that department has changed. Now let's hope his luck stays that way for the remainder of the year.
Most of you are aware that Junior has marketed a candy bar called Big Mo, and it comes in two varieties. Chocolate covered caramel and chocolate covered peanut butter. The majority of the country had them at the beginning of the year, but in my area the candy was delayed for some reason and it wasn't being distributed till just a week or so ago. And guess what? It's made one county away from me. Yeah, go figure.
So when I finally found it in the store I bought one of each variety. But I didn't eat any right away. I'm funny that way. So yesterday I felt was the day I should try one. I chose the caramel first because I always save the best for last, saving the peanut butter. I'm funny that way too. Don't laugh. It's not funny.
Let me tell you right here and now that if you find the candy in your store, buy it and eat it right away. You will think you died and went to heaven. I can't buy any more. The amount of fat and calories in just one bar is beyond my quota for the whole day. But if you don't have to worry about clogged arteries or gaining weight, then please, by all means munch away to your heart's content.
And finally, for those of you anxiously waiting to see some racing, enjoy the Shootout Saturday and I hope your favorite driver wins. Especially if your favorite driver is Dale Earnhardt Jr. You saw that coming, didnt you?
posted by Cheyenne at 1:52 AM comment(s) made:
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Wednesday, February 06, 2008
This Just In From Jade Gurss
(For those of you who don't know who Jade Gurss is, he was Junior's PR person when Budweiser was his sponsor. Jade was employed by Anheuser-Busch. He turned the job down when he was asked if he wanted to continue with Kasey Kahne as the new Bud driver.)
The following is from Jade's site:
Speaking of the #88 team, I laugh whenever I read or hear speculation of the immense pressure Junior is under this year. Don't believe it: he suddenly can go out and race with an owner that is supportive professionally and personally as well as not having the hopes and expectations of an entire company on his shoulders. I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, this move will be as valuable to Dale Jr. on a human level as it is an opportunity to drive the finest equipment. Any true competitor thrives on this: the chance to show your stuff in the best possible scenario.
I recall a brief exchange between the spotter and Dale Jr. during last year's Talladega race with the CoT...
Spotter: "It looks like the Hendrick cars can go whenever they like..."
Dale Jr: (droll) "Yeah... I remember what that feels like."
He will again experience that feeling this year.
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Thank you Jade for those wonderful encouraging words. We are about to find that out, too, as race day approaches.
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME RACING?
TV coverage from Daytona officially starts on Thursday of this week. Be there.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:03 AM comment(s) made:
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Monday, February 04, 2008
A Giant Upset
Congratulations to Elisha Nelson Manning and his band of rag-tag Giants on their Super Bowl win. When you believe, things happen. It was also announced a few minutes ago that Eli was named the MVP.
Here is a picture of some of my favorite scenery throughout the game:
Brady going down...again.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:36 AM comment(s) made:
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Friday, February 01, 2008
Which Chowder Will It Be?
Manhattan clam chowder vs New England Clam Chowder aka The Big Game aka The Super Bowl.
Can you tell the difference between the two chowders? Here is how I separated them when I was in my teens: Manhattan clam chowder is red, therefore I associate it with the redskins that sold that island to the white man. And, no, I do not like that term redskins, but it is the only way I can explain this.
New England clam chowder is white, therefore I associate it with all the snow that falls in that area. Simple, huh?
For all intents and purposes, this year I am a Manhattan clam chowderhead. Since I was raised in New York (both Manhattan and Long Island) as a child, naturally I have become a Giants fan. But remember, I am a 49ers fan first, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Cowboys since I am a Terrell Owens fan and follow him wherever he goes. My being an Owens fan goes back to when he played for the 49ers.
I am hoping the Giants can pull this one out and win. I don't care if it's only by one point, as long as they win. For some reason, and it goes back years before Tom Brady and his Patriots, I have had a dislike for that team. I don't remember why, it just is. And every year they make it to the Super Bowl and go on to win just adds fuel to the fire. And it's starting to burn out of control...
posted by Cheyenne at 12:03 PM comment(s) made:
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