Rusty Reckons: Kentucky Gets an F

This weekend's race at Kentucky was a complete dud! Tens of thousands of fans were mired in traffic for hours upon hours just trying to get to the track. Here's one sad story of some fans who left almost 6 hours before the green flag to travel just over 30 miles to the track, and they didn't even make it. Not that I would say the on-track action was worth much anyway. The Shrub won the race in absolutely dominating fashion. At one point, he had an 8 second lead and there were less than 20 cars on the lead lap. BORING!!!!

The thousands of poor fans who tried in vain to reach the track were left sorely disappointed. This was supposed to be one of the highlights of NASCAR's summer. A new track with an energized fan base. An entire state was fired up about this event. I was fired up too. I had been looking forward to watching this Saturday night event on TV all week. I had announced to my wife more than once that I would be retiring to the man-cave for hours of interrupted left turns under the lights of the blue grass state. Little did I know that would be all I got. Yeah, there was a small bit of excitement when the track reached up and bit fan favorite Dale Jr with less than ten laps to go (further adding to my displeasure). This brought out the caution and gave us a lap or two of excitement before the Shrub pulled back out in front.

Now, Rusty is well aware that NASCAR can only do so much in regards to the action on the track. In fact, when it comes to monking with the racing, I maintain a hands-off approach. However, they should take a good hard look at traffic issues before adding a new track again or coming back to Kentucky. The fans deserve better, especially if that track is going to produce a snoozer.

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Rusty Reckon: Shop Talk with Martin Truex Jr.

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #56 Napa Auto Parts Toyota Camry took some time out while in Daytona to chat with HHR's own NASCAR fanatic, Rusty. In just a few short minutes, Rusty and Truex covered it all, from his recently launched campaign as a spokesman for the new Schick Xtreme3 FitStyle Refresh to being part of the storied NASCAR family tradition. Truex is pretty psyched about his chances this coming weekend. The #56 team has unloaded a good car and thinks he and teammate David Reuitmann should be able to work well together in the draft. The new surface at Daytona has got a lot of grip, and under the guidance of team owner, Michael Waltrip, who's found victory lane here twice, ole Rusty thinks the #56 might find itself towards the front Saturday night. Oh yeah, and white tail dear of New Jersey? Watch out! Listen to the full interview, below.

Blogs with Balls Show - Episode 32 by Blogs with Balls

Schick Xtreme3 will join Truex’s No. 56 Napa Auto Parts Toyota as an associate sponsor beginning with this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway, where Schick Xtreme3 Refresh kicks off the first of 10 in-field activations that will provide refreshing experiences to NASCAR fans.

The new Schick Xtreme3 FitStyle Refresh is the first scented men’s razor in the US, and is designed to help invigorate guys’ shaves and fully refresh them for the day ahead. Truex will serve as the brand spokesperson throughout the launch campaign.

-posted by Rusty

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Rusty Reckons: HOF Inductees - It's About Dadgum Time!

Yesterday, NASCAR announced the latest class to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Included in this year's inductees are Darrel Waltrip and Cale Yarborough. It's about dadgum time! The younger fans may know Waltrip as the comical fellow from Fox Sports who hollers, "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity" at the start of the race. Before his stint in the booth, though, which fortuitously began at the Daytona 500 in 2001 where Dale Sr. died and DW's little brother won the race, Waltrip was known as the flamboyant driver tied for 3rd on the all time wins list with Bobby Allison. Jeff Gordon's recent win at Pocono now add him to that esteemed group in third.

DW gives a celebratory fist pump - Springsteen style!

DW's fellow inductee, Cale Yarborough won three consecutive championships, a feat unmatched in NASCAR history until the new superman, Jimmie Johnson reached number four in his current streak of five and counting. Cale is also the guy who in 1979 got into a little "altercation" with the Allison brothers in the infield at the end of the Daytona 500. It was the first live broadcast of NASCAR, and that little incident has been credited by many as helping fuel part of NASCAR's reputation over the years.

Why it took three years for these boys to make it, Rusty will never know. However, I'm sure glad they did.

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Rusty Reckons: Consistent Inconsistency

Over the years I've waxed poetic about NASCAR's bizarre rationale behind issuing penalties. The only consistency appears to be inconsistency. I mean in what world does saying a dirty word warrant a points deduction and arguably the lost of the championship, but using your car as a weapon only gets the amorphous "probation." As far as Rusty is concerned that makes about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine.

Yesterday, NASCAR ruled from on high about the recent fracas between Kyle "Shrub" Busch and car owner Richard Childress. You see, Childress is a man of principle. He doesn't take too kindly to some rascal from out west getting Johnny Ringo crazy and wrecking his race cars. After the recent dust-up between Shrub and Childress's flagship driver, Kevin "Happy" Harvick, NASCAR put Busch on probation, and Childress issued a very clear directive, "do it again, and I'm going to whup ya!"


Well, this past weekend, the Shrub was back at it again, putting his fender where it don't belong. This time it was after the race and in the Truck series (the trucks are like the 3rd tier series of NASCAR). So, Childress threw Kyle into a headlock and delivered his punishment. So, you'd think that using a truck like a weapon while on probation from another such incident would warrant a violation of said probation, right? NOPE!

NASCAR said Kyle was blameless. Big old meany Childress attacked him unprovoked. Instead of dealing with the one who time and again seems to be at the center of these issues, NASCAR laid one heck of a beat down on Childress for sticking to his guns, and doing what Shrub's daddy should have done a long time ago . . . give him an old trip to the wood shed!

Make sense to y'all? Me neither.

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Rusty Reckons: Junior Thumbs his Nose at the Year 2011

I don't mean to only post on Junior, but I saw this today and it just stuck in my craw. Apparently, Junior sees it as too much work to connect with his fans.


Jeff Gordon does it (@JeffGordonWeb), Jimmie Johnson does it (@JimmieJohnson), Kevin Harvick does it (@KevinHarvick), and if you're on Twitter, I highly recommend following Kevin. He and his wife's antics are quite humorous and well documented. Kevin's also known around the garage for being a bit of a prankster, and many of this tom-foolery is also well documented via Twitter. It's a hoot.

Look, Rusty understands the pressures of being the most popular at anything. I regularly have to beat back a hoard of attention starved fans (Hi, mom!), myself. However, seems to me there are costs associated with being voted the Most Popular Driver in NASCAR year after year after year. Get on Twitter buddy. It ain't that hard. Give us a peak into what goes on in that head.

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Rusty Reckons: Is Junior Back?

I know we're only three races into the 2011 season, and it's too early to really get a sense of who's going to be in contention come November. However, you have to be mildly impressed and hopeful with the results from the 88 stable. Hendrick made some big swings this off season trying to fix the issues for NASCAR's most popular driver. He put Steve Letarte on top of the pit box, and moved the 88 team into the same garage as the 48. Improvement by osmosis was the hope. Now, Junior's still marred in a long nearly 100 race winless streak. However, he is currently sitting 10th in points and has piled up two top 10 finishes in the last two races. If not for an unfortunate late race wreck, he probably had a top 10 car at Daytona, as well. Possibly a winning car. We'll never know. Also telling is that Junior appears to be having fun again. Make no mistake about it, when he's not running up front, he's a miserable cuss. If he's having fun, though, he can be a force to be reckoned with. The biggest problem with the 88 team and even going back to when he drove the 8 for DEI was an inability to adjust the race car throughout a race and get a good finish. He often could run well at the start or through the middle, but would always fade at the end. Communication from the race car to the pit box was the big issue. This is the biggest change and improvement for the affectionately nicknamed June-bug, this year. He's talking to Letarte and they are able to adjust the car to make it better and get good finishes. I'm not completely sold that he'll be able to sustain the Mo and be in the Chase this fall. However, I remain cautiously optimistic. There appears to be some life in him, yet.

On another somewhat related note . . . apparently, someone is trying to sell the hearse that carried Junior's old man, the late great Dale "The Intimidator" Earnhardt Sr. to his final resting place. Cryptic . . . yet intriguing.

- Brandon "Rusty"
Follow me on Twitter, @bkke.

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Rusty Reckons: Power Rankings Part 3

The summer has certainly heated up and so has NASCAR. Over the last few months, Rusty's been holed up in his cool basement watching the fastest sport in America. During this cave dwelling experience, I've noticed a few things that's made NASCAR exciting. Here's a short list.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 02: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #3 Wrangler Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona International Speedway on July 2, 2010 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

1. #3 in Victory Lane

There are a few, and I mean a very few things that have the slightest inklin of bringing a tear to a NASCAR fan's eyes. After the tragedy of the 2001 Daytona 500, an Earnhardt behind the wheel of a #3 Chevrolet in victory lane is one of them. A few short weeks ago, we were treated to just that . . . and at Daytona, no less, the site of one of the greatest tragedies in NASCAR history. In honor of his father, Dale Jr. piloted a Nationwide car with his old man's #3 Wrangler blue and yellow paint scheme. With his usual restrictor plate aplomb, Dale Jr drove a great race and found victory lane for the first time since 2008. Once in victory lane and filled with his usual post-victory emotion Dale Jr declared he did what he wanted to do and that he would probably never again pilot the #3. His swan song, if it remains that, can surely go down as one of the best in sports history. Essentially, he drove it from victory lane, into the history books. That my friends, is certainly the #1 thing on Rusty's power rankings for this part of the season.


2. Chip Ganassi

There is no triple crown in auto-racing, but if there was, Chip Ganassi would get the honor. This year, Chip Ganassi, co-owner of the #1 car with driver Jamie McMurray in NASCAR and owner of the #10 car driven by Dario Franchitti in the Indy Series, won the top 3 races in America. In just 5 short months, Ganassi cars have found victory lane at the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, and the Brickyard 400. Rusty's certainly one to argue that there's a good deal of luck in racing, especially NASCAR, but unless Ganassi's been buying rabbit's feet by the truck-load, I think we can say he's got a few things figured out. Currently sitting at 17th in the points, it's not looking too bright for McMurray's chances to make the Chase, but of any of the tracks to win at, Indy is the most indicative of a driver's championship success. Only a handful of winners at the Brickyard have NOT won a Championship. McMurray added his name to that short list this year . . . for now, but Ganassi might just have another trick up his sleeve, yet.


3. David Reutimann

Who? Exactly! Unfortunately for David, up until this point, he's essentially been considered an also ran. A teammate of the sponsor-lovin Michael Waltrip, Reutimann has had minimal success at best. He's never made the Chase, and honestly has never really been close. He had won before last week, but in a rain shortened event. I know, I know, a win's a win, which is true, but Reutimann arguably wasn't going to win that race without a little help from the man upstairs. This time, it was a different story. Reutimann's win in Chicago was done with the usual moves seen by the sports top contenders. Reuti, as we've learned is his nickname among friends and growing fan-base, led a total of 52 laps and made the right moves toward the end of the race to finally take the checkers in a full NASCAR Sprint Cup event. Time will only tell if this springboards a promising career for the driver of the 00 (pronounced double zero) Toyota, but Rusty doesn't think we've seen the last of him.

4. ESPN's coverage

As a general rule, ole Rusty's not a fan of the cable sports giant's coverage of actual sporting events. Rather than having some national know-it-all flown in 10 minutes before the game and handed a single page dossier on the teams, I'd rather have local or regional guy who actually follow the teams call the game. ESPN's NASCAR coverage is the exception, however. Though I'll miss the lovely Lindsay Czarniak, the ESPN team truly does an excellent job. Further adding to ESPN's stellar work is the cut-away car segments. Now, usually I'm not a fan of anything that gets away from the actual action on the field, but racing's a little different. Discussions about the intricacies of the modern NASCAR race car are greatly aided with the ESPN cut-away car. Sure, Fox, and NBC, and TNT all have similar things, and ESPN wasn't even the one to invent the concept, but according to this avid fan, they've perfected it. The level of detail and knowledge base provided by this little aside is what makes ESPN's coverage of NASCAR make the current power rankings.

5. Greg Biffle/Jack Roush

The "bug-eyed-dumby" made it back to victory lane. The #16 3M Ford from the Roush stable ended a long winless drought stretching back to 2008. It was also Jack Roush's first win since last fall at Talladega. The win couldn't have come at a better time for the Cat in the Hat, either. Just before the Pocono race where Biff found victory lane, Jack was involved in a rather serious airplane crash. The wily old man was piloting his own private plane when it got a little hairy on landing. Roush was able to walk-away, but has been through several surgeries since. Having one of his teams find victory lane the Sunday he had to watch from a hospital bed, I'm sure helped in the recovery. Biffle's currently sitting at the 11th position in points, not a shoe-in for making the Chase, but this victory certainly helped, and if he does make NASCAR's version of the playoffs, those 10 bonus points will sure come in handy, too.


The Rusty Old Jalopy award: Carl Edwards

It's time to park, Mr. Ed. I've always been a fan of letting race drivers settle their business on the track. Let'em race, and let'em race hard. In recent years, NASCAR's been quick to punish overly aggressive driving in order to polish their image. This year, they let the gloves come off a bit, but maybe a little too much. Carl makes this week's jalopy award for his kindergarten behavior at a recent Nationwide race (oh, and let's not forget earlier this year at Atlanta). Brad Keselowski and Edwards have never been fast friends, but regardless of any rivalry, Keselowski didn't deserve to be outright wrecked on his way to the checkers like Edwards did a few weeks back. This isn't the first time Edwards has gone a little berserk either. After a wild race in Martinsville a few years back, Edwards came up and physically threatened teammate Matt Kenseth during a post-race interview, a teammate! Even more notable was his Cole Trickle-esque bumping of Dale Earnhardt Jr. at a Michigan Nationwide event. Junior got into Edwards towards the end of the race. Mr. Ed expressed his displeasure at Junior's move by ramming his car during the victory lap at the conclusion of the race. Junior escaped losing his hand by mere inches. Rusty's always been a fan of the bump-n-run and letting guys get aggressive. I'm an Earnhardt fan, for crying out loud. But there's a line. Using your car as a weapon and means of exacting revenge is over that line. Carl continues to cross it, and should be parked. Period.

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Rusty Reckons: Breakfast Advice; "Eat Your Wheaties, Jr!"

As we head into NASCAR's All Star weekend, Wheaties has announced that Dale Earnhardt will be featured once again on the front of its famous box of bran cereal goodness. This will be the second time the Intimidator's face will great cereal lovers the country over. It's been scheduled to coincide with with Sr.'s induction into the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. It's also notable coming during the middle of his son's long winless drought. Maybe Jr. could be more like his dad on the track if he ate his Wheaties. Rusty's not sure, but it's sure worth a shot.

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Wheaties' Neck Just Got a Little Redder

Wheaties today unveiled a special-edition Dale Earnhardt commemorative box, "honoring his legendary career and celebrating his induction into the Hall of Fame."

An accompanying release notes:

Earnhardt’s record-tying seven championships, along with 76 wins and incredible fan popularity helped propel him into this latest “Breakfast of Champions” honor.

Earnhardt becomes the first stock car driver to be featured on the Wheaties box twice. He first appeared on a series of boxes in 1997 when he raced a Wheaties paint scheme in the All-Star event that same year. And, now Wheaties honors his competitive spirit and champion attitude in connection with his induction.

What jumps out at me more than anything is Earnhardt's image on the box.


At the risk of pissing off NASCAR nation (including HHR's own Rusty), the man known as "The Intimidator" looks as if the only thing he could intimidate is a bathroom stall. That said, it would not shock me if this become the most sought-after cereal box in the history of the Walmart.

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Rusty Reckons: Power Rankings Part 2

Well, another six races have come and gone and we are now officially 1/3 of the way through the season. As I sat down to pen this installment of Rusty's power rankings, I began to think about the good ole days of the sport, when brawn seemed to reign over brains, and TV deals didn't matter as much. Lucky for me and some of the more traditional fans, though, there are a few peeks at some of those old traditions in NASCAR lately, and this power rankings reflects just that.

Photo: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

1. Happy Harvick - Last time out, I highlighted the resurgence of the entire RCR team. Well, ole Happy must be reading HHR, cause he's gotten even better since then. At Talladega last month, he broke his two year winless streak, not having found victory lane since Daytona in 2007. In fact, since a 13th place at Phoenix, Harvick hasn't finished outside the top 10 and has led at every race except Texas and Dover. Harvick's contract at RCR is up at the end of the year, and after Shell/Penzoil announced it was moving to Penske just a few weeks ago it looked like he might be saying goodbye to the only team he's ever known at the Cup level. However, with his recent success on the track, a deal with RCR should be inked in the coming weeks.

Getty Images

2. Hamlin's knee surgery - The joke's always been that NASCAR is a backwards redneck sport, and maybe there's some truth to at least the first part of that. In most other sports, a torn ACL will sideline a player for months if not end a career. Not for Denny Hamlin. After winning at Martinsville, Hamlin had surgery to repair the ACL he tore playing pick-up basketball in January. He was right back in the car two shorts weeks later in Phoenix. That first race back was a struggle, and Hamlin wheeled the car home in 30th. Since then, though, he's been on a tear. The FedEx #11 found victory lane one week later in Texas, and has since rattled off a fourth and 11th place finish before finding completing the sweep at Darlington two weekends ago. It was the first sweep at Darlington in 17 years. Apparently, even with a recovering knee, the 'Lady in Black' is not 'too tough to tame' for the boy from Rusty's neck of the woods (Chesterfield, yee haw!).

3. The #3 back on the track - Well, we've been waiting for almost 10 years. Ever since the horrific tragedy at the Daytona 500 in 2001 where we lost Earnhardt, every fan has speculated about if/when we might see the #3 back on the track. The next week after the tragedy, Earnhardt's team and car were back on track, but with a new number and driver (the #29 piloted by Happy Harvick). Not having the 3 on the track is like college basketball without Dick Vitale. Yeah, it's a little more peaceful and quiet, but it just ain't right. But now, the 3's going to be back, even if for just one short race. Junior's going to get behind the wheel of a car with his daddy's number on the side, and even his old paint scheme on the hood. The Nationwide race at Daytona this summer will feature the legend's son driving the Wrangler #3 in a partnership with JR Motorsports, RCR, and Earnhardt Gnassi racing. And as far as this old purist is concerned, that's pretty dadgum awesome!

4. Talladega spring race - Dubbed "the most competitive race in NASCAR history", the boys in Alabama put on quite a show last month. After the asphalt debacle at Daytona, plate track fans like yours truly were hoping for a better race at Dega, and boy did the Aaron's 499 deliver. By the time the race was over, a series and track record 88 lead changes had been recorded, and those were just measured at the line. All across the track, the total probably approaches 200 over the course of the 499 mile race. To top it off, the race was won with the #29 using one of the most recognized moves in NASCAR, the sling-shot. Harvick kept tucked in behind race leader Jamie McMurray until just at the right moment, before pulling out and passing him for the win. A little shake . . . and bake! How's your mind? Blown!?! Ricky would be proud.

5. Sibling rivalry - The story of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon is made for a Hallmark Channel special. A few years back, a little unknown guy named Jimmie went to one of the most winningest drivers in NASCAR to ask some advice. Instead of advice, he got an offer to come drive the 48 with Hendrick Motorsports. Since then, the 48 team has emerged as one of the most dominant in the history of the sport. During all this time, Gordon and Johnson have maintained one of the best friendships in the garage. However, with the 48 struggling since the re-introduction of the spoiler back to the car, things have gotten heated between these Hendrick brothers. A minor fracas at Texas turned into a downright hullabaloo at Talladega, when the 48 and 24 seemed to be playing bumper cars on the track. With Happy, Smoke, and Kurt Busch on their best behavior, NASCAR is in need of some 'drama' and feuding. Jimmie and Jeff are providing just that, and maybe even more.

The Rusty Old Jalopy award: And finally the award for what's been smelling up NASCAR like my daughter's stinky diapers, Stewart Hass Racing. Last year was the first year for Tony Stewart's newly formed team, and it was quite a success. Both cars made the Chase, and Smoke was able to find victory lane 4 times. While the #39 piloted by Ryan Newman was never the first to take the checkers, it wasn't due to the team's failure but rather a streak of some really rotten luck. Take note Earnhardt Jr. fans, he might not be the only one who needs a rabbit's foot from time to time. In 2010, though, both the #14 and #39 are struggling and currently sit outside the crucial top 12. Stewart has only had 4 top 10 finishes in the 14 car, and has finished 23rd or worse 5 out of the last 7 races. Newman's finishes have fared slightly better, and he's even won a race, but a very slow start has hampered the 39 team, and they are still 13th in points, out of the top 12.

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Rusty's Reckons: Power Rankings Part 1

Well, we are now officially six races into the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and as NASCAR takes its annual Easter break, the brain-trust at HHR thought we'd bring you a new feature, Rusty's Power Rankings. Every so often, I'm going to reach back into my bag of tricks and pull out some gems as I ruminate and pontificate on the best and the brightest in NASCAR, and I won't be just discussing drivers in these rankings. As you'll see this week, this ranking is going to include all elements in the sport. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the first installment of Rusty's Power Rankings.

1. Jimmie Johnson & Chad Knaus - Sigh! Don't these guys ever take a day off? So far this season, the 48 team has won HALF of the races (3 of the 6)! As you might imagine, the 48 team finds itself in a familiar position, atop the points standings. Usually, Knaus and Johnson find their streak towards the end of the season. Just like in individual races, they make adjustments, and get hot coming down the home stretch, leaving the competition in a cloud of dust. This year, they seem to be hitting their stride early. Too early? Time well tell, but it's hard to imagine the dominant force that is the Lowe's team beginning to struggle after such a great start.


2. NASCAR - Rusty's going to tip his hat to some big changes this year from NASCAR, all of them so far working out great. First, they got rid of the restriction against bump drafting, like it did any good. A penalty for bump drafting was about as likely as getting a travel called on Kobe Bryant. It won't gonna happen, folks. Nevertheless, it was a rule that allowed them to wag their fingers at the drivers four times a year. Second, they are going to be getting rid of that ridiculous wing and going back to the more traditional spoiler. That stupid wing looked like something out of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Stock cars were meant to have spoilers, and I'm glad they are coming back. Lastly, the new green-white-checkers rules. In the past, they only allowed one shot at a green flag finish with the green-white-checkers system, which is NASCAR's version of overtime. This year, they are going to give it 3 shots, a much better idea! I mean, just look at Martinsville. Jeff Gordon conspiracy theories aside, what an ending!

3. RCR - What a resurgence from the team who didn't field a single car in the Chase last year. Currently, all three drivers are in the top 12 (the top 12 make the Chase after Richmond in the fall). For Happy Harvick, this could be partially due to the fact that his contract's up at the end of this year with RCR. There's been rumors flying about where he might go, and whether or not he's going to stay with the team who brought him in to finish out the season after Dale Earnhardt's passing. He's cooled off over the past two weeks, but the 29 came out of the gate with four consecutive top 10 finishes, two of which were runner-up. Teammates Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton are also sitting comfortably in the top 12. Bowyer amassed 3 top 10's before struggling with a 23rd and 40th place showing. He righted the ship somewhat this past week with a top 10 in Martinsville. While Burton hasn't had the finishes of his Childress teammates, he has been consistent, which has gotten him to where he is. Being in the top 12 after 5 races is a really good predictor for those who end up in the top 12 at Richmond. If this holds true, RCR would be ecstatic to have all 3 drivers in the Chase, after last year's drought.

4. Paul Menard - Who? Exactly! Menard pilots the 98 Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports. Prior to this year, his career had him bouncing around teams as a weekly also-ran. His highest career finish was 5th at Talladega in 2008. Last year, he finished 31st in points, his best finish being a 13th place at Texas. This year, driving for a new team, though, has lit a fire under the cheese-head from Eau Claire. Menard's already matched his career best with a 5th at Atlanta, and has consistently finished in the top 20 earning him a standing of 11th in points. While maybe not a serious championship contender, if he keeps this up, Menard could be a force to be reckoned with in the Chase. In the right equipment, he's shown an ability to handle a race car and wrack up consistently good finishes. A bit of a surprise to this point in the season, Menard may continue to fly under the radar and surprise some people.

5. Bump-n-run - One of Earnhardt Sr.'s favorite way around a short track like Bristol or Martinsville was the technique dubbed the bump-n-run. Earnhardt would put a fender on a car, get'em loose, and as he drifted up the track, shoot underneath for the pass. His use of this little move helped earn him the nickname The Intimidator. In fact, it got to the point where he wouldn't have to actually touch a guy. They see that #3 in their mirror, and just move over for him. Well, those who pine for those good old days got a good taste of it this past Monday at Martinsville. Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth showed us just what the bump-n-run was, and more importantly what it looks like after the race is over (read: The Real Housewives of NASCAR city). As noted above, NASCAR's made a real concerted effort to try and bring back some of the lost aspects of the sport. The bump-n-run is certainly one of those that's back in full effect, and kudos to that!


The Rusty Old Jalopy award: Track conditions - It seems like ages ago now, but that race in Daytona felt like it took ages to complete on account of two long stoppages to fix the asphalt. Sure, with all the snow we got here on the East Coast this winter, there's going to be a pot-hole festival in nearly every city, but that's no excuse for Daytona. The Daytona 500 is the Super Bowl of NASCAR. The track, therefore, has a responsibility to the sport and its fans to put on the best possible show it can. Not having a track that's up to snuff is like having a big dead spot in the outfield for the World Series or a loose board on the hardwood at the Final Four. The racing at the 500 this year was great. It's just unfortunate that it was great racing bookended by long periods of sheer boredom watching asphalt dry, literally.

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adidas Now Making Mayonnaise Hats

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Rusty Reckons: Dale Junior Wins at Daytona

NASCAR's fan favorite, Dale Jr. coasted to victory at Daytona, too bad for Junior nation it was in a computer game, and not a real track event. Nevertheless, victory weary fans will take what they can get, including yours truly. So, even if Junior cannot best his fellow Sprint Cup competitors, at least he knows he can operate a plastic steering wheel better than a bunch of 30 yr old's still living at home with their momma. That's trophy case material!

Earnhardt Jr. Wins First iRacing.com Event

In other news, it's rumored that Peyton Manning is challenging Brees to a rematch of Super Bowl XLIV, Techmo style.

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Rusty Reckons: New Year's Resolutions 2010

With a little over a week till the green flag drops on the 2010 NASCAR season, Rusty has emerged from his winter slumber to pontificate on the goings on and what's in store for the coming year. I've also emerged to shovel the nearly 2 feet of snow on the back deck! Tonight we'll get our first taste of racing this year with the preseason Bud Shootout. Even though the rumblings of NASCAR don't make national headlines, there are big changes already in store for stock car enthusiasts this year. So, without further adieu, let's begin to fill your heads with the ramblings of a true wanna-be redneck.


One of the biggest changes for this coming year is the addition of a pretty face. After having a bit of a mediocre career in IRL (let's be honest, she's only had 1 win in 5 seasons), racing's #1 sex symbol is coming to stock car. Danica's now going to really show what she's got behind the wheel of JR Motorsports #7 Chevrolet, owned by none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr. In her first year in NASCAR, Danica's only going to be running 13 races in the Nationwide series, but she'll be sure to turn the heads of a few beered up infield hooligans . . . including yours truly.

But, speaking of Junior . . . mark my words, Dale Jr will go winless again in 2010. Until NASCAR shortens the race or goes back to the old system, NASCAR's most popular driver is going to continue to struggle 'closing the deal'. Coffee and trophies go to closers, sorry June bug. Junior's got the talent and equipment, but for whatever reason, he's not found his groove or been able to keep up with the changes to the sport. A few years back in a different points system with the older car, I think he could have really been a perennial championship contender. Regardless, the stands will still be filled with more 88 fans at Daytona and Talladega this year than anything.


Chad Knaus gets jealous of Jimmie's new found fame and the 48 team finally shows they are human.

Over the last four years, Chad, Jimmie, and the 48 team have been heads above the rest of the competition. Watching the other 42 drivers try to compete against the 48 was like watching an arthritic one legged dog try to win a butt kicking contest. You rooted for that old mutt, but you just knew it wasn't going to happen. Well, this year the one legged dog's going to win. It took four years, but I think Jimmie's hit his peak. Even people outside of NASCAR are recognizing the soften spoken clean cut guy from California.

JJ wins AP's Man of the Year. This means he's only got one way to go, down. He won't slip far and he'll finish in the Top 5 in points, but no 5-peat for Jimmie.

That ugly wing stuck on the back of an otherwise sweet looking race car is going the way of the dodo.

Since going to the COT, fans and drivers alike have fussed about the tricked out looking rear wing on the back of the new race car. It's made the cars more squirrelly and thus, according to some people, made for less passing. So, the big boys up in the tower listened. NASCAR is working with a few teams next month to test a spoiler similar to the one used on the old car. The goal is to get a little more downforce on the cars and hopefully make for better racing. Rusty thinks this is a great idea, but we'll have to wait and see how it transpires.

Unlike previous years, I'm not going to be making any wild predictions on who's going to win the title. I think there are several strong contenders, including Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. Carl's been close several times, and if it wasn't for the 48 team would have at least 1 title already if not two. Since I'm thinking the 48 isn't going to win it this year, I could easily see the 99 taking the crown. Don't count out Tony though. Stewart had an amazing year last year with his upstart race team. Many people thought he would struggle including yours truly, but he proved us all wrong. If he can avoid a sophomore slump of sorts, he should be at the front and challenging for his third career championship come November.

Last year was a good year, but this year's going to be great (as long as you aren't a Junior fan). So, stock the fridge, get some bean dip, and let's get ready for another season of the world's best stock car racing series.

Hammer down!!!!!

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2009's Most Forgettable Sports Moments

While many choose to look back at 2009 by highlighting championship performances, scandalous transgressions and overall warm, fuzzy nostalgia, when the history books are written, there will be several happenings this past year that will be forgotten - be it by accident or by selective memory. For perseverance's sake, here's a look at some of the HHR crew's least memorable moments, stories and figures of 2009.

Dale Jr.'s "Breakout" Season

Dale Jr.'s second year at Hendrick Motorsports was supposed to be his breakout year. In 2008, he made the Chase, and this past year he was supposed to contend. Instead, Junior found himself with his worst season in NASCAR, and had to watch from the sidelines as his Hendrick teammates finished 1, 2, 3 in the points standings. A mid-year crew chief change couldn't even ease June Bug's woes.

ACC Football

This year was supposed to be the year for several teams in the ACC. NC State had the ACC's most prolific passer returning, Wake Forest was led by senior signal caller Riley Skinner, VT was Virginia Tech, and Bowden was promising great things as he fought for his job down in Tallahassee. Instead, the ACC struggled all year, losing early games to the likes of William & Mary and never coming close to being in the talk for a National Title contender. Now, the traditionalists' cries for the heads of the guys behind the expansion are growing ever more louder. It was supposed to elevate football in the nation's preeminent basketball conference, right?

Fat College Football Coaches

Apparently, this wasn't the year to be big and on the sidelines with a headset in college. The portly Mark Mangino and the rotund Charlie Weiss both found themselves without a job at the end of the season. While Mangino's dismissal had more to do with his treatment of players than his team's record, Weiss just couldn't eat enough donuts to help the Irish win enough games to keep his job. Surely, Ralph Friedgen's off season diet kept him on the sidelines in College Park, because Maryland's 2-10 record certainly didn't help.

Urban Meyer Resigning at Florida

Quite simply: Proof that the "do-over" rule is alive and well in college athletics.

WNBA's Shock Relocates to Tulsa

You know your league is in trouble when a team wins three championships in the decade and then decides a move from a major sports metro to Tulsa, OK is an upgrade.

Allen Iverson, Memphis Grizzly

"God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career. I feel that they are committed to developing a winner." Two months God must've told the Answer to get the hell out of Dodge. Sometimes even God makes mistakes. Either that or he has a helluva sense of humor.

Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bill

While making an initial splash upon signing, TO has since taken backseat to the prospect of the Bills moonlighting in Canada. When all is said and done, it says something when a guy will forever be remembered more for doing sit-ups in his driveway than actually playing for the Buffalo Bills.

The Billy Gillispie Era at UK

Add a new coach (John Calipari), the best player in America (John Wall) and a shiny undefeated record, and it’s hard to believe that the Cats were bounced by Notre Dame in the NIT last year.

The New York Metropolitans

While the team opened a brand new stadium, the cross-city Yankees win the Series over the defending champion/division rival Phillies and fans protest the franchise by forfeiting astronomically-priced season ticket plans, the team looks to rebound in 2010 by signing the likes of Alex Cora, Kelvim Escobar, Henry Blanco, R.A. Dickey and Chris Coste. To add insult to fans' injury, Coste punctuates his signing by reminding NY faithful, "I will always be a Phillie."

Shawne Merriman Performs Lights Out Dance on Tila Tequila

In an incident that was as ridiculous as the bi-sexual reality star's "career," Tila claims "Shawne grabbed her, shook her like a rag doll, threw her down and choked her during an argument last September. Tila says the San Diego Chargers linebacker had a bad temper combined with a drug problem, and that he humiliated her because of her bi-sexuality." Yet, authorities and the public somewhat seem to buy the Charger's claim of acting in the name of being a responsible party host. Charlie Sheen: take note.

We miss anything?

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Preserving History: Jimmie Wins Record 4

After each major sporting event, HHR takes a look at how it is portrayed in news print in some of the nation's leading dailies. Part out of curiosity, and part to preserve the dying medium.

While it might not have been huge news in the Northeast or West Coasts, JJ's record stetting Cup win was huge down South.

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Separated at Birth: Redneck Yankee

HHR's resident card-carrying member of the Dale Jr. fan club pointed out that his driver bares a striking resemblance to last night's Yankee starter, AJ Burnett.

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Rusty Reckons: The Chase Rundown Part 7 of 7

Well, it's finally here. The Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's version of a playoff system. To help you prepare for the 10 week showdown, Rusty's going to give you a run down of each of the 12 drivers in the Chase, this week. Included in that ranking will be the Rusty's Power Ranking, my own personal index of who's got the best shot to win the title.

Today we look at the #1 position, Mark Martin.











Mark Martin - If Tony Stewart was the success story of 2009, Mark Martin is the comeback story for this year. Mark Martin retired a few years back. Then at the behest of his long time owner, Jack Roush, he came back. Then he moved teams and ran a partial schedule. Finally, he signed a contract with Rick Hendrick to drive for a full season. He was going to make one more run at the title. Well, what a run it's been. Mark has a series high 4 wins this year. Now, heading into the Chase, he finds himself at the top of the points and poised to take home his first title. The consummate bridesmaid, Mark has done nearly everything in NASCAR but won the Cup championship. It's this fact, and this fact only that Rusty's ranked him behind Tony and Jimmie in the power ranking.

I attribute a lot of Mark's success this year to his attitude. I have never seen someone so happy to be driving a race car. In stark contrast to his teammate in the 88, who seems like he wants to be anywhere else, Mark is just happy. This relaxed attitude and the resources of the best team in the sport has led to Mark's success. Looking forward to the Chase, Mark has every right to continue to feel positive. He's already won at one of the Chase tracks (Phoenix) and he's won at a track very similar to several of the Chase tracks. Chicagoland is very similar to Kansas, Lowe's and Texas. If Mark's able to take home the crown after Homestead, it will truly be the best sports story in 2009. He's got the talent, he's got the equipment, he's got the right attitude. Will he do it? The mystery will start to unravel itself in New Hampshire . . . BOOGITY BOOGITY BOOGITY!!!

Position before Richmond: 10
Rusty's Power Ranking: 3

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Rusty Reckons: The Chase Rundown Part 6

Well, it's finally here. The Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's version of a playoff system. To help you prepare for the 10 week showdown, Rusty's going to give you a run down of each of the 12 drivers in the Chase, this week. Included in that ranking will be the Rusty's Power Ranking, my own personal index of who's got the best shot to win the title.

Today we look at the #2 position, Tony Stewart.











Tony Stewart - Tony Stewart has been one of the best stories to emerge out of the 2009 season. Smoke took a big gamble by leaving Joe Gibbs, the #20 car, and his long time crew chief Tony Zippadelli last year to form Stewart Hass Racing. A lot of so called experts, including HHR's own Rusty predicted the newly formed team would struggle. Fortunately for Smoke fans, they have proven us all wrong. Tony has spent all year in the top 10 in points. He grabbed the top spot after Dover, and has held on throughout the summer. He's only 2nd to Martin, now because the points realignment gives Martin the advantage with 1 more win than Tony. Since winning at Watkin's Glen in early August, Tony hasn't finished in the top 10 and has only led 2 laps. However, as I said with Johnson, I attribute this to experimentation for the Chase rather than struggling with the racecar.

So, looking forward to the Chase, the prospects for Tony's 3rd championship look good. Tony's not found victory lane at only 2 of the 10 Chase tracks, California and Texas. Among the other 8, he's had 12 wins, 63 top 5's, and 96 top 10's in his career. Impressive numbers to say the least. The Chase also includes a track, Lowe's Motor Speedway, where Tony's already found victory lane this year. Among the other 7 Chase tracks where NASCAR's already visited this year, Tony's had 5 top 5's, led 84 laps, and only finished outside the top 10 once, a 23rd at Talladega. Clearly, when you look at the numbers, Tony's one of the favorites to win it all. I still contend this is Jimmie's championship to lose, but one bad race for the #48 and Smoke will be pouncing, and potentially pouncing for his 3rd title.

Position before Richmond: 1
Rusty's Power Ranking: 2

Tomorrow: #1 Mark Martin

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Rusty Reckons: The Chase Rundown Part 5

Well, it's finally here. The Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's version of a playoff system. To help you prepare for the 10 week showdown, Rusty's going to give you a run down of each of the 12 drivers in the Chase, this week. Included in that ranking will be the Rusty's Power Ranking, my own personal index of who's got the best shot to win the title.

Today we look at the #4 and #3 positions, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson.











Denny Hamlin - No one in NASCAR is riding higher than Denny Hamlin right now. Denny won Richmond this past weekend in dominating fashion. If there's one race Denny's had circled on his calendar since coming to Cup it was Richmond. He hails from Chesterfield County, just across the river, so he grew up watching races at Richmond. To win there was like harpooning his white whale. This means coming into New Hampshire and the rest of the Chase, Denny's got a big shot of Uncle Mo on his side. In addition to a victory at Richmond, Denny also found victory lane after another rather dominating performance at Pocono. Add that to 9 top 5's and 14 top 10's, and Denny's going to be a tough car to beat. What does hurt Denny's chances, however, are the struggles at Joe Gibbs racing. Hamlin's the only Gibbs driver in the Chase this year, after all 3 drivers made it last year. While Denny doesn't need Kyle and Joey to win, it certainly doesn't hurt his case. This is why even with a strong team, I'm not predicting much of a chance for Denny to the win the trophy this year.

Position before Richmond: 4
Rusty's Power Ranking: 6











Jimmie Johnson - Make no mistake about it. Jimmie Johnson is my hands down favorite to win the championship. Since 2006, Jimmie's won three consecutive titles to tie Cale Yarborough's record. This year, he's going to break it. Why? Because Jimmie and Chad Knaus, his crew cheif, know how to run up front and win when they need to. This year, they've amassed 3 wins, 9 top 5's, 15 top 10's, and only 1 DNF. Even though Jimmie's had a few of his poorer showings lately, 36 in Atlanta, 33 in Michigan, I would be more apt to chalk that up to the experimentations of Knaus than a genuine struggle with the car. Knaus and Johnson have a formula for winning. They have an ability to adjust a race car throughout a race and get it to the front to win. Last year, Johnson had 4 wins going into the Chase, tallied another 3 and won the title. In 2007, 6 wins before the chase, and then 4 consecutive wins in October and November to win the title. The first year, it was 5 wins, with one more in the Chase in addition to 4 runner up finishes. Clearly, he knows when to turn it up a notch. So this year, I've seen nothing to indicate they aren't capable of doing it again. Tony and Mark are stiff competition, but I think this is Jimmie's championship to lose.

Position before Richmond: 3
Rusty's Power Ranking: 1

Next Up: #2 Tony Stewart

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