Rusty Reckons: No Duh (Y'all)

Here's the 'no duh' moment of the season. Earnhardt advised Keselowksi to go to Penske, instead of having him added to the Hendrick team. Why's that the 'no duh' moment you ask? Let Rusty lay it out for you.

1. NASCAR imposes a limit of 4 cars per team. Hendrick is at that limit with the 24, 48, 5, and 88.
2. The 24 and 48 are duking it out at the top of the point standings, just behind the owner-driver-dynamo, Tony Stewart. Meanwhile, Mark Martin (5) must still have a stash of free Viagra somewhere because he's driving harder than anyone, and has a series high 4 wins.
3. Keselowski's been able to do something Earnhardt (88) ain't this year, win a race.

Add that up, and you see why Earnhardt might be encouraging the up and comer to find another team, lest he find himself booted to the curb to make room.

Lucky for Junior and the 88 team, though, Rusty's got a feelin he's going to see that checkered flag before this year's out. Richmond, Talladega, maybe even Atlanta . . . I'm not sure, but I got an inclin.

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Rusty Reckons: Earnhardt Offers Solutions to His Problems

It's no secret that the 88 team has struggled this year. Mired at 25th in points, and not having had a top 10 finish since his 2nd place finish at Talladega in April, Junior offers his thoughts on the sport.

His issue? The new car. His solution? Fix it so he can run better. Seems reasonable. According to NASCAR president, Mike Helton, it worked for his father.

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2009 NASCAR Season Preview

Rusty Made it to Daytona!

Well, I did it. I can't tell you how, but I was able to sneak into Speedweeks. Rusty's dream since I was a kid has been to be down here for all the hoopla leading up to the 500. This year, not only did I make it, but I'm going to be able to report on the interweb about everything I'm seeing and hearing. And as observation number one, let me say I'm already sick and tired of hearing about that stupid gopher or groundhog or whatever the devil he is.


Anyway, as all of you NASCAR fans get ready for your big 500 parties, Rusty's gonna try and get the real scoop from Daytona, and tell it like it is.

First, though, thought I could take a minute to give you a few predictions about the season. Namely, who's hot, who's not, and who might just barely scrape by this coming year.

So, without further adieu, and back by popular demand, here's Rusty's predictions for 2009.

Green Green Green

Hendrick Motor Sports - Rick Hendrick has put together NASCAR's version of the dream team for 2009. With four-time champion Jeff Gordon leading the way, Hendrick now has Gordon, reigning champ and three-peat phenom Jimmie Johnson, fan favorite Dale Jr., and the newest old addition, the sports elder statesmen and perpetual bridesmaid, Mark Martin. Even with Gordon unable to find victory lane, and Jr only finding it once on a fuel gamble, HMS had a strong 2008. With the addition of Martin, and Jimmie showing no signs of letting up, Hendrick is going to be the team to beat week in and week out, this year. They've already begun to prove it. All 4 have posted in the top 12 on the speed charts with the old fart even qualifying for the front row. In years past, after a strong showing in Daytona, HMS can tend to get off to a slow start, but don't let that fool you. When it comes crunch time, and in the biggest races, the #5, #24, #48, and the #88 will be in the hunt. And they may for the first time qualify every driver for the Chase.

Jamie McMurray - This might come as a surprise to a lot of folks, but Jamie Mac got HOT at the end of the season, and I ain't talking about looks. In the last six races of the season, the driver of the #26 only finished outside the top 10 once (38 at Martinsville). At the very end of the season, he rattled off three consecutive third place finishes. Roush is no slouch, and while Kenseth or Edwards might get all the glory, don't forget the #26 is the last Roush team to win a championship, as the #97 driven by Kurt Busch in 2004. Whether or not last year's momentum can be carried into this year is the real test, but look for Jamie Mac to continue to surprise people in 2009. DARKHORSE BABY!!!!

Yellow's Out

Tony Stewart - Predictions about Tony Stewart are going to run the gamut, this year. In 2008, Tony parted ways with the team, sponsor, and crew chief that got him two NASCAR championships (Gibbs, Home Depot, and Tony Zipadelli). He teamed up with Hass to form Stewart Hass Racing, and then lured Ryan Newman over to join his new two car team. He'll drive the #14 sponsored by Old Spice and Office Depot, while Rocket Newman's slated to drive the Go Army #39. Some people think Smoke's going to blossom since he'll be in complete control, while others think he's gonna struggle like most first time owners. Ole Rusty's not so sure, either way, but is pretty sure it'll be a roller coaster ride. He won't go winless, but Newman will. He will have some rough times, and he'll have a streak once or twice where he will look unstoppable. Ultimately, the move will be a good one, but it's going to take a season or two to iron out the kinks. Look for the #14 to struggle to make the Chase. He'll be a bubble team come August/September, but might be able to squeeze into it with a strong finish at Richmond. Barring that, Tony's going to be on the outside looking in.

Red Flag

Michael Waltrip - 2008 was not pretty for the two-time Daytona 500 champion, and Rusty's pretty sure 2009 might be even worse. The driver of the #55 Napa Toyota only saw two top 10 finishes last season; a runner up finish at Dover, and a 10th place finish at New Hampshire. Waltrip has struggled mightily since coming over to Toyota and forming his own team two years ago. He's even failed to qualify a few times. Ever since he crawled from his roof hatch during his last victory burnout in Alabama, a host of things has kept Waltrip from victory lane. Though lately, a vast majority of those "things" could be blamed on sub-par equipment. With tougher economic times now a reality, a owner driver situation like Waltrip's for a team already struggling might just prove untenable. Rusty would hate to see the affable and always marketable Waltrip not behind the wheel, but I can see the writing on the wall. I think this might be the end of the Waltrip legacy.


Tomorrow: Rusty Razzes the Rookies

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HMS's New Old Man

Rusty says, c'mon over Mark. For years, Mark Martin has served as the statesman of NASCAR. A reliable vet that all young drivers could turn to, no one was more respected than old Mark Martin.

A few years ago, through another online venue, ole Rusty said Mark's earned the right to do what he wants to in regards to his career. I stand by that.

Can we Trust Mark after latest flip-flop?

This fool thinks he's cheating his fans, he's going back on his word, yada yada yada. When those media blabber mouths can drive a racecar like Mark, then they can talk. Till that point, shut it!

In 2009, HMS will have Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Mark Martin. HOLY COW!!! What a team! Top 5 driver of all time. One of the hottest drivers over the last five years. The sports most popular driver with the greatest pedigree ever. And the statesman and respected veteran. Can't beat that!

Now, y'all enjoy the fourth. Rusty just may be back tomorrow to talk about Dale-tona!

Y'all come back now, hear?

Rusty Reckons: California Speedway

I reckon this weekend should be another exciting race. The new car's never raced on an intermediate track like California, and if last week was any foreshadowing of this week, we could be in for some exciting racing.

That being said, I think HMS is due to come back to victory lane. Despite Roush's dominance on 2 mile tracks, HMS has been able to make the switch to the new car better than anyone. My fantasy pick for the week is the #48, but look for the #24 and #88 to be in contention as well.

And without further adieu, here is Rusty's fantasy NASCAR line-up for the weekend. I hope to make this a weekly post, so be sure to check back every Thursday (i'll get it out sooner in the future).

A List
- Jimmie Johnson (48)
B List
- Kyle Busch (18)
C List
- Dale Jarrett (44)

2 for 2 at the Duels

Photo: Orlando Sentinel

Well, the field is finally set for the 50th running of the great American race, the Daytona 500. This year's race should prove to be a very exciting event (especially for us JR fans).

Junior is 2 for 2 with Hendrick Motorsports. After dominating the Budweiser Shootout last Saturday night in his first win since May of 2006, Junior came from the rear of the field and drove his #88 HMS Chevy to another dominating win in the first of the Gatorade Duel 150's. I know that a full 500 mile race is a completely different animal, but if these two small events are a pre-cursor to this Sunday and this season, then daggum!!!!!

Meanwhile while JR's been tearing it up in the #88, it looks like Toyota's benefiting greatly from its association with JGR. Just a few short weeks ago, I predicted a big down year for JGR because of their association with Toyota. It's early, and they haven't gone real racing yet, but looks like I might be proved wrong. We'll see.

There is one thing I'm sure of, though. Sunday's race is going to be an awesome race. I hope all y'all have a chance to watch. Rusty's going to be heading out to the horse country with the Idiot and Payne to watch more than 35,000 horses race. Y'all enjoy, and I'll give you my thoughts on Monday.

So, y'all come back, now, hear?

Rusty gives his Best and Worst for the NASCAR season

As the stars of NASCAR gallavant around New York City this week, I thought I'd take a minute to do a Best & Worst recap of the past season.

Best Finish: Kevin Harvick vs. Mark Martin (Daytona 500) - While there were some great battles and close finishes, nothing seemed to have quite the excitement of the season opener this year. Only thing that could have been better would have been if the pereninal bridesmaid finally won.

Best Team: Hendrick Motorsports - Hands down, no questions asked, no debate or explanation needed. Period!

Worst Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc. - Even though DEI put Truex into the Chase field, and had some dominant cars throughout races, the team really suffered this year. The new partnership with RCR on the GM R07 engine seemed to be a losing battle all year. To make matters worse, losing their #1 driver and biggest name in the sport did not help to make matters any better.

Best Fight: Harvick vs. Montoya (Watkins Glen) - It was only a matter of time till these two hotheads came to blows, and Watkins Glen proved to be the perfect stage. It was kinda silly, though, that despite their bad boy images, they both kept their helmets on during the minor frakus.

Most Boring Race: To be honest, there were several that would normally qualify for this category. The new COT seemed to provide for some pretty un-interesting racing this season. But I think the top billing would go to both races at Bristol. Under the lights, Bristol used to be some of the best racing on the circuit. The COT seemed to dramatically reduce the passing, bumping, and quality racing that gave Bristol the nickname, "Thunder Valley".

Best In-Race Quote: "Here kitty, kitty, kitty" - With his car dialed in at one of his favorite tracks, Tony Stewart was heard calling over the radio "here kitty, kitty" as he chased down Kevin Harvick to take the victory at the Brickyard. When Smoke's in his element, he can provide some great entertainment.

Biggest Upset Win: Jamie McMurray (Pepsi 400) - The atypical surfer-boy type racer, Jamie's never made much noise on the Cup level, especially since moving to Roush. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and came home with a much needed victory on one of the most famous tracks on the circuit.

Biggest Disappointment: Dale Jarrett - Watching a former Cup champion struggle to even qualify week-in and week-out was painful. While his performance was waning in recent years, I don't think anyone wanted to see Jarrett crash and burn with Waltrip's Toyota team like he did.

Biggest Surprise: Clint Bowyer - Having never won a NASCAR Nextel Cup race, Bowyer was a surprise to even make the Chase. Then he really surprised everyone by dominating the field at New Hampshire, and getting his first ever victory at the first Chase event.

Worst Luck: Dale Earnhardt Jr. - In his final year with DEI, Jr couldn't catch a break to save his season. From busted valve-springs to dismembered tires, June-bug seemed to catch the worst of luck this past season. (Editor's note: you still cannot convince me there wasn't some tom-foolery going on in Garage-Mahal).

Best part of TV Broadcast: New ESPN Tech Center. The Ford cut-away car used by Fox was good, but it didn't hold a candle to ESPN's car. They used it far more, and the information was much clearer and more in-depth.

Worst part of TV Broadcast: Pre-Race. First, the races are starting too late. I know the whole song and dance about TV ratings and the West Coast, but frankly I don't care, and I think it's doing more to hurt rather than help the sport. Second, the pre-race show has become way to elaborate. It's almost an hour of talk, music, and fancy montages. Cut it all! Give me five minute update of what's happened in the week, then drop the green flag.

And that concludes the 2007 season, y'all come back now, hear?

- Rusty

NASCAR, Dale Jr, and Why We Don't Hate Jeff!

Why would you care about NASCAR? You are a baseball fan or a football fan. You've never watched it on TV, get angry when SportsCenter does NASCAR highlights, and maybe even drive a foreign car (blasphemer). So, why would you want to spend your precious time reading some North Carolinian yellow-dog southern Baptist's take on the traditional redneck sport? Well, I'll give you 3 quick reasons, and then just challenge you to read my first post (below), and keep coming back for more.

1) NASCAR is American, and if you don't love America, then this blog's not for you, buddy. The Great American Race, hot dogs, beer, and rednecks. These are the very things that make America great, my friends.

2) NASCAR is raw power. 43 drivers in 135 degree 865 hp stock cars racing at close to 200 mph mere inches from each other, beating, banging, and sliding all over the race track. You do the math.

3) NASCAR is hands down the fastest growing sport in America. The NHL is dying a slow death. The NBA is a joke. Each year, NASCAR adds more and more fans, from all walks of life. There may even be a race track in NYC in the coming years.

Now that you are all recent converts to the greatest show on 4 wheels, I give you my (BK's) first post . . .


Hendrick: Junior will have new sponsor next season

Well, it looks like a marriage born in heaven will soon be coming to an end. Starting in 2008, Dale Jr. will not be driving the red Budweiser car that's made him so famous. Rumor has it that he might be in a Pepsi-sponsored car at his new team of Hendrick Motorsports. This is no small change for NASCAR and the legion of Jr fans in the stands and at home. Approximately 80% of NASCAR fans are clad in Dale Jr.'s bright red. When he storms to the lead, especially at places like Talladega and Richmond, a thunderous red tidal wave careens through the grandstands. Well, starting at Daytona in February, 2008, those red clad fans are going to have to deck themselves in some new color or risk being "behind the times". As if the typical NASCAR fan wasn't already a little behind the times in terms of fashion, but that's a post for another day.

Today is also a new day for me and my own loyalties in NASCAR. You see, I'm a big Dale Jr. fan. I too erupt in a cacophony of hoots-n-hollers that has to be translated for anyone not born in North Carolina when that beautiful red car surges to the lead. As such, I've always borne, shall we say, a bit of distaste for Jeff Gordon and his buddies at Hendrick Motorsports. In 2004, when NASCAR in effect gave Jeff the win over Junior at 'Dega, my hatred reached it's zenith. Since then, I've ranted about Jeff's shoving Matt Kenseth out of the way at Chicagoland, Jeff's whining about Jimmie racing him at Martinsville, and countless other "incidents". But last night I had a catharsis. Realizing Jeff would become Junior's teammate next year regardless of my personal feelings and maybe a little bit because I was nearing the end of my 3 mile run, I decided it was time to shelve my dislike of the driver of the 24 car. I mean, he does have a few things I can respect, right? He's won 5 championships. He's won almost 80 races. He's even won more races than Dale Earnhardt whom Jeff respected almost like a father-figure. It was NASCAR's Eagles vs. Giants for the '90's.

So, let this be an official announcement. I no longer hate Jeff Gordon. I ain't a fan, and I don't know that I can ever root for the 24, but I won't hate him. I'll have a competitor's respect for him, and hope he can bring the Hendrick Motorsports team success . . . but not till 2008.

And that's about all I got to say about that!

-posted by Rusty