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2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Season - Page 2

post #51 of 214
5/9/07 at 8:47pm
Thread Starter 
JR Motorsports has been around for awhile but he's had it as a Busch Series team. And wow it did not take long for the Wikipedia entry of JR Motorsports to be updated with this Nextel Cup series announcement.

I really wonder what this will do to DEI. I guess if Jr. does leave then they can go ahead and merge with Robert Yates Racing and have a four car team like they've been talking about. It's weird though since DEI is signed with Chevy and Yates is with Ford. Either way DEI will lose lot's of fan support and come under heavy fire for losing Earnhardt Jr.

But with Jr. using Hendrick equipment this makes my plan of him becoming a Hendrick driver all that much closer to becoming reality. But another big questions would be... will Bud follow with Jr. and will he retain his number 8? Like I said.... implosion.
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post #52 of 214
5/10/07 at 1:08pm
Thread Starter 
Dale Jr. is leaving DEI at the end of the year but has no plans as of yet as to what time he'll be driving for next year. But he wants to be at a top tier team that runs Chevys so that sort of limits his choices to about three teams: Hendrick, Childress and Gibbs.

Hendrick is out since they already have four drivers. I bet they're kicking themselves that they hired Casey Mears....

Gibbs has no talent except for Stewart.

Childress I think would be a good fit. Aside form the hot headedness of Harvick, they have Jeff Burton who's on a good comeback and Clint Bowyer who showing a lot of promise.

I'd say Junior will end up at Childress and if he's not there it'll be Gibbs.
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post #53 of 214
5/10/07 at 1:22pm
If Richard Childress puts him in a black #3 car the merchandising value of two already ridiculously-valuable properties would absolutely explode.
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post #54 of 214
5/10/07 at 6:12pm
Seeing as how he's the poster boy for Nascar, and Southern America in general, I think pretty much every team will want him. I think Casey Mears might want to start winning a few races, quick.
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post #55 of 214
5/10/07 at 6:32pm
Jr. has stated publicly he has no desire to run in the black #3 car, so I think Hendricks will be the most logical choice. Casey Mears hasn't exactly been on fire during his brief tenure there, and seeing he already pitched a bitch at JJ in Talladega for his own amateurish mistake (trying to pit from the bottom racing groove right in front of Johnson) I seriously doubt Rick Hendrick is viewing loyalty towards Mears as a viable option at this point.
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post #56 of 214
5/10/07 at 10:35pm
Thread Starter 
That incident wasn't Mears's fault. There was some bad team communication that lead to it. Mears thought they were all pitting when in actual they were going to wait. It was a messed up call on some peoples parts. It's all good now between them.

Dale Jr. won't drive the black #3 but that doesn't mean he won't race for Childress. Childress would let him drive a #69 hot pink car if Jr. wanted too. I really think Jr. will end up at Childress. He has loyalty to Childress and Childress has loyalty to Jr. They like each other and respect each other. I think if Jr. went there he'd be treated better then he was at DEI. I just don't want to Jr. to end up at Gibbs or Ginn Racing. Hendrick is a long shot. They already have four teams and in 2010 you can only have a max of four teams. Sure they have time to ditch a driver by then (Kyle Busch!!!!) but still... I really believe Jr. will end up at Childress for 2008.
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post #57 of 214
5/13/07 at 6:39pm
Thread Starter 


Hendrick domination continues!

5-5 with COT.

8 wins in 11 races this season.

I can't believe how amazing Jeff Gordon and team 24 are right now.
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post #58 of 214
5/15/07 at 6:13pm
And it's *still* steaming like a train. That is also one impressive engine package, that it could survive all that.
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post #59 of 214
5/15/07 at 7:20pm
Thread Starter 
Earnhardt Jr.'s team got hit hard with penalties: 100 driver points and his crew chief was fined $100,000 and suspended for six races. Yikes! What's with NASCAR actually handing out *penalties* now? Before it was always just slaps on the wrists.
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post #60 of 214
5/21/07 at 6:47pm
An interesting new wrinkle in the race to acquire Jr.

Henrick stable too full for Earnhardt--right now...
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post #61 of 214
5/21/07 at 7:27pm
Thread Starter 
Totally agree with the Kyle Busch hate in that article.

Another wrinkle is that Richard Childress and DEI announced an engine building partnership last week. So if Junior went to RCR he would still be stuck with DEI in a sense.
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post #62 of 214
5/24/07 at 6:27pm
Here's some big news that will definitely make ONE team very happy.
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post #63 of 214
5/24/07 at 6:30pm
Quote:
Most drivers have been critical of the COT, complaining about its handling and calling it difficult to drive, but they preferred going to one program.
Scenes from Death Race 2000 rushed through my head as I read this sentence.

Does anyone know if the Bristol race will feature the COT? My dad may be paying my way and I don't think I'll pass up the offer either way.
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post #64 of 214
5/24/07 at 6:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason P. Thompson
Does anyone know if the Bristol race will feature the COT? My dad may be paying my way and I don't think I'll pass up the offer either way.
Since they used the COT for the Bristol race earlier this year, I'm certain they'll use it again. How in the hell did your dad snag tickets to a Bristol night race!? I've always heard they're even harder to acquire than tickets to a Green Bay Home game. That'll be awesome if you get to go.

I'm now officially envyous.
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post #65 of 214
5/24/07 at 6:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uth Vaspetad
Since they used the COT for the Bristol race earlier this year, I'm certain they'll use it again. How in the hell did your dad snag tickets to a Bristol night race!? I've always heard they're even harder to acquire than tickets to a Green Bay Home game. That'll be awesome if you get to go.

I'm now officially envyous.
Most excellent.

My dad's boss/friend always gets tickets for Bristol every single year and then they make a big weekend out of it. My dad and mom went last year, I believe.

There is also mention of RVing at the track the first few days before the race, so yeah... I can't pass up the chance.

Thank goodness my sister is due that weekend! Otherwise my mom would be going. Haha... some uncle I am!

Also, I was told to say that words, "I'd like to have that" a lot in front of my dad's boss. Aparently that's when he hands you the credit card and buys whatever you are pointing at.

I'm sure I'll pay a huge price somewhere along the line for the weekend that is to come.
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post #66 of 214
5/24/07 at 6:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason P. Thompson
I'm sure I'll pay a huge price somewhere along the line for the weekend that is to come.
It will be worth it.
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post #67 of 214
5/24/07 at 7:00pm
Yeah... I don't think I've been this stoked for a race before. I'm a casual fan of the sport (as I finally let it become a part of my Sunday TV routine) but I'm really looking forward to this one.
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post #68 of 214
5/24/07 at 7:57pm
I don't like this CoT, with it's square body panels and big wings. No-sir, I don't like it. But forcing the teams to run two different cars is pretty crazy, so they might as well go to the safer car.
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post #69 of 214
5/27/07 at 8:33pm
All the way up to 5th from 32nd before Jeff's car got butchered in the tri-oval. It's always disappointing to see him get wrecked out of a race, but it's especially depressing to see it happen to him on a day when his car was so damn good.

Bummer indeed.
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post #70 of 214
5/28/07 at 11:24am
I loved how Gordon was telling the reporters that the wreck wasn't that bad. Uhhh...

120+ miles per hour into the wall and then having another car t-bone you... just a normal day at the office. Haha...
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post #71 of 214
5/28/07 at 5:24pm
Thread Starter 
He may have meant it wasn't that bad because of the SAFER barriers? I was pissed when I found out he wrecked. I had to watch the race today but the recording missed the first 90 laps.

Great finish. I was so happy that Mears won. I got choked up and because of his excitement and non-stop screaming. And Kyle Petty coming home third... man did that team need that. Brian Vickers fifth as well in the Toyota and he lead a while too. Good job for that team. Hopefully Toyota can step up since Vickers is the only one with a top ten and top five. Waltrip DNQ'ed again. What a joke that team is.

And yes, the COT will be used at the August Bristol race. I'm heading to Watkins Glen in August as well and they'll be using it there. I'm really looking forward to that.
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post #72 of 214
6/2/07 at 12:59am
Thread Starter 
Michael Waltrip finally made a race!

Any takers on how long he'll last? I say he won't make it past lap 100.
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post #73 of 214
6/3/07 at 7:00pm
Thread Starter 
So Jeff Hammond drop some news today that Earnhardt Jr. could actually be signing with Joe Gibbs Racing very soon. Now I just wonder if Gibbs would ditch J.J. Yelley or start a fourth car. I'd still love to see Earnhardt Jr. at Hendrick but it's doubtful that will happen.

And I was on Facebook today, looking at some groups and I came across one entitled Fans Against Gordon or FAG for short. Now... wouldn't they be the fags and not Jeff Gordon?
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post #74 of 214
6/4/07 at 3:41pm
Thread Starter 


The man who created NASCAR and turned it into the billion dollar a year sport it is today passed away earlier this afternoon:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070604/...i56hzSmrwLMxIF

Quote:
Former NASCAR chairman Bill France dies

By JENNA FRYER, AP Auto Racing Writer

Bill France Jr., who transformed NASCAR from a small Southern sport into a billion-dollar conglomerate during his 31 years as chairman, died Monday. He was 74.

He died at his Daytona Beach, Fla., home, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said.

France had been in poor health for much of the last decade — he was diagnosed with cancer in 1999. Although he was in remission, the extensive treatments took a toll. He never regained his full strength, often had difficulty breathing and had taken to using a motorized scooter to get around.
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post #75 of 214
6/4/07 at 4:54pm
Thread Starter 
Wow. I didn't think Truex Jr. was going to last until the end. Good for him. Nice to see two guys who have deserved to win finally win the first races these past two races. The Hendrick domination of the COT races has finally been shut down now though.
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post #76 of 214
6/4/07 at 7:04pm
Yeah was waiting for JJ to finally catch him. Nice to see new faces in victory lane. Now if one time it would be Bobby Labonte.
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post #77 of 214
6/5/07 at 6:18pm
That was a really good race. If nothing else, the CoT can take quite the beating. And Kurt Busch, oh Kurt. You get fooled into thinking he's a functioning member of the human race, but underneath he's just a rage-machine, ticking like a bomb. Having him and Tony 'Batshit' Stewart start feuding is like the perfect storm of idiocy.

Great result for Martin - he had that car hooked up perfectly.
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post #78 of 214
6/5/07 at 6:20pm
I'm convinced Martin is a robot.

He'll still be racing cars 50 years from now.

Good outing for Kahne as well. He needs more finishes like that.

One of the more impressing CoT outings, for sure.
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post #79 of 214
6/5/07 at 6:56pm
Thread Starter 
Kurt Busch has really matured the past few years but he had every right to be pissed. He had a good car and Stewart was an idiot and ruined his day. But yeah having a Busch/Stewart feud would be gold. Through in Harvick and Montoya for a four way Battle Royale. Little Kyle Busch can tag along too but he'd get his ass handed to him.
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post #80 of 214
6/5/07 at 7:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brendan
Kurt Busch has really matured the past few years but he had every right to be pissed. He had a good car and Stewart was an idiot and ruined his day.
Your probably right, but the real idiot award goes to Kurt for his move in the pits. That's totally out of line.
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post #81 of 214
6/5/07 at 7:47pm
Thread Starter 
I missed that one then. Paybacks will surely happen at some point this season. Daytona is just a few weeks away.
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post #82 of 214
6/5/07 at 9:47pm
Thread Starter 


I just watched the video of what Kurt did on pit road. Yeah, he should definitely be fined cash and driver points for that. Stewart was in the wrong on the track (he should have just let Busch go) but what Kurt did on pit road was inexcusable. Thankfully Stewart's crewman was paying attention and jumped out of the way. He could have been pretty badly injured.
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post #83 of 214
6/6/07 at 1:54pm
Thread Starter 
There's an interesting article up at NASCAR.com about how Mark Martin is ruining NASCAR:

http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/opin...imm/index.html

Quote:
Martin's part-time success could hurt sport in future

By Bill Kimm, NASCAR.COM
June 6, 2007
11:06 AM EDT

Take nothing away from what Mark Martin has accomplished 13 races into this season. With six top-10s and four top-fives, he's on pace to match his 2002 season when he finished runner-up to eventual champion Tony Stewart.

Which is exactly why Martin, if he keeps this up, will ruin NASCAR.

At the halfway point of the Chase, Martin currently sits 12th in points and would qualify for NASCAR's version of the postseason -- all while racing in just 10 events compared to everyone else who has raced 13.

It all started with that amazing finish at Daytona, when Martin came up just short to Kevin Harvick. Martin followed that up with two consecutive fifth-place finishes at California and Las Vegas and a 10th at Atlanta. Then the talking began.

The part-time Martin was actually leading in points. It was very conceivable he could make the Chase on a part-time schedule.

Of course, with the next two races at Bristol and Martinsville, both races in which Regan Smith would take over the No. 01 Chevy for Ginn Racing, Martin's point lead eventually evaporated.

But here we are 13 races into the schedule and Martin is Chase eligible.

This is the worst-case scenario for NASCAR.

This sport has always prided itself on being the most fan-friendly of any in America. One reason that is the case -- all 36 races on the schedule, all of the best drivers in the country are featured at one racetrack.

With Martin's success this season on a pick-and-choose basis, the NASCAR we know and love could all but disappear.

Where is the benefit for Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson or Tony Stewart or Dale Earnhardt Jr. to race 36 races? All that matters to sponsors, to teams and to drivers is make the Chase and have a shot at the championship.

Why would Junior, who is not a good road-racer with no wins in 14 combined races at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, drive at either track? There's no point.

Junior could take a couple weeks off, enjoy the break, and let an up-and-comer get some experience. Or put a ringer like a Ron Fellows or Boris Said in the car.

If a driver knows he can miss a race and not take that much of a hit in points, why not take a week or two off?

Look at this season. Johnson and Gordon are running away with the top-two point positions. It is conceivable, both drivers could take three races off, and still sit comfortably in the top 12. Not borderline, comfortably.

And with the current Chase points system, all Gordon and Johnson would have to do is make the Chase, and they will start 1-2 when it begins.

No one will win three or four races this season the way the Hendrick duo has. So when the Chase begins in New Hampshire, despite where the two finish -- as long as they are in the top 12 they will be seeded 1-2.

So is it not in their best interest to take a couple weeks off and be refreshed when the Chase starts in September?

And don't for a second think the sponsors won't be on board with this.

DuPont, Lowe's, Home Depot, Budweiser, all of them will be just fine backing a car for all 36 races, as long as their money driver gets into the Chase. There is no way one of those sponsors will take their precious dollars away because their marquee driver takes a few weeks off, it just isn't logical.

It's a win-win for all involved. Drivers get a few weeks off, owners get some young guy valuable track time, sponsors will still see their car in the Chase -- the only people who suffer are the fans.

All the Sonoma fans that pay big bucks to see Junior race, get Fellows in the No. 8 instead. Or everyone at Richmond who expected to see Gordon and Johnson battle for the points lead heading into the Chase don't even see the No. 48 or No. 24 on the track because -- well honestly, there is no need.

Gordon has already said this has given him a new outlook on his career.

"I can tell you what, what Mark has done has probably extended my career," Gordon said. "It's now going to make me look at when that day comes when I feel like I can no longer race full time in the Cup Series. I might still want to race part time.

"I'm not saying we could pull it off, but it's something I would consider now,"

That statement scares me.

I don't want NASCAR turning into golf. I don't want to see Gordon, Johnson, Junior and Stewart turn into Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els and pick which events they will participate in. I want to know when I go to a track, my favorite driver is going to be there.

Don't get me wrong, what Martin has done has been impressive. And if he can make the Chase on a part-time schedule, even more of a feat. But the next time you go to a race or turn on the TV expecting to see your favorite driver only to see a guy in that car you've barely heard of -- blame Mark Martin.

Unbeknownst to him, he has changed the way drivers look at a 36-race schedule, and it's not for the benefit of the sport or its fans.
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post #84 of 214
6/6/07 at 6:20pm
"And with the current Chase points system, all Gordon and Johnson would have to do is make the Chase, and they will start 1-2 when it begins."

What am I missing here? Starting positions in the top 12 are determined by the championship standings. If G and J take some races off, then they'll probably fall back in the standings, so they won't start 1-2.



"There is no way one of those sponsors will take their precious dollars away because their marquee driver takes a few weeks off, it just isn't logical."

It's totally logical. A famous driver is part of the package that the sponsor is paying for. If the driver wants to start missing some races, then the sponsor will likely want to renegotiate the amount of money it pays for the car, especially if the replacement driver isn't as good (which should usually be the case.)

The predominate thinking about Nascar racing has always been about how important it is to finish every race. Unlike F1, the points system is so close that championships are built more on reliability than wins. I think this year the introduction of a new type of car has shook things up across the board, the good teams are better, and the bad teams are worse - creating an open middle area that Mark has unwittingly exploited. I think it's an anomaly, and not a harbinger of things to come, because once the CoT is fully embraced, the form for all the teams will come back, and the championship will close up again.

But even if the drivers wanted to do this, a simple rule would put a stop to it. I'm pretty sure F1 has a rule about a driver needing to compete in every race, unless he's injured or whatever.
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post #85 of 214
6/6/07 at 6:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brendan
Kurt Busch has really matured the past few years but he had every right to be pissed. He had a good car and Stewart was an idiot and ruined his day.
Tony wasn't the one who initiated the contact though. Kurt slid up in front of Tony exiting the turn before he actually cleared him. If there's anyone to find at fault in that instance, it was Kurt and his spotter.
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post #86 of 214
6/6/07 at 11:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Van Jones
What am I missing here? Starting positions in the top 12 are determined by the championship standings. If G and J take some races off, then they'll probably fall back in the standings, so they won't start 1-2.
It depends on how many races they win during the regular season. Once the Top 12 for The Chase is set any driver in that top 12 who won a race gets an additional 10 points added on. So right now Gordon already has an additional 30 points coming to him once he enters the Chase. The more races he wins the more bonus points. And yet they still don't give out points for winning the pole position...

And I agree with what else you said. A sponsor pays knowing that driver is going to race. Once they realize he'll do a partial schedule they'll scale back their payments. I'm paying for Jeff Gordon to drive the car for 36 races! Not 16. I don't to pay to have my name associated with Derrike Cope!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Uth Vaspetad
Tony wasn't the one who initiated the contact though. Kurt slid up in front of Tony exiting the turn before he actually cleared him. If there's anyone to find at fault in that instance, it was Kurt and his spotter.
Kurt clearly had the faster car so after racing for a bit Tony should have let him go. Most drivers do that. Also once Kurt came up in front of Tony and got tagged it didn't look like Tony backed off. In fact you can see in the video that Tony just keeps on going and basically drives right through Busch. Busch probably could have saved the car but Tony dumped him and did so on purpose.

To me Tony was in the wrong there. Kurt had a faster car, let him go and deal with him later when you catch up. But Kurts move on pit road was uncalled for and completely unsafe. I know NASCAR parked him for the rest of the race but a fine of some driver points could have helped.
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post #87 of 214
6/8/07 at 3:18pm
Thread Starter 
Wow. NASCAR layed down a big fine on Kurt Busch for last weeks pit road incident. 100 driver points and a $100,000 fine and he's on probation until Dec. 31, 2007.

He went from 11th place in the standings to 18th. That's shit load of points gone and not to mention his 42nd place finish last week after being parked by NASCAR. It's what he gets though for being an idiot.
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post #88 of 214
6/8/07 at 10:47pm
Official response from Kurt Busch: "Rawwwr! Rahhhhhrrrr! Arrrhhhhrrrrr!"
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post #89 of 214
6/10/07 at 8:44pm
Thread Starter 
That was a brilliant call by Gordon's crew chief. That was strategy. And Casey Mears and Martin Truex Jr. back up their wins with a top 5 run.
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post #90 of 214
6/12/07 at 4:44pm
Thread Starter 
Big news...

Earnhardt Jr. has called a press conference for tomorrow at 11 AM to announce where he'll be next year. Apparently all signs are pointing to Hendrick Motorsports. If he does go there I think my balls will explode as this would be the greatest thing ever.
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post #91 of 214
6/12/07 at 5:52pm
Looks like to the 5, amazing that this never leaked(cept the day before the press con.)
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post #92 of 214
6/12/07 at 7:01pm
Thread Starter 
If they kick Busch out then good riddance. He's been an embarrassment to Hendrick this year. After he won at Bristol in the first COT race he goes ahead and bashes the fuck out of it. Then a week later, after wrecking, he takes off from the track. His crew repairs the car and their driver is nowhere to be found and no one knew he left. So they ask Earnhardt to fill in and he does. Not to mention Kyle Busch has attitude problems and doesn't really know when to play it safe and save the car. Rather he just drives full out every lap and tears shit up. It'd be great if Busch was the next Buckshot Jones or Casey Atwood.
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post #93 of 214
6/13/07 at 12:59am
My hunch was right...

If people are amazed by the Hendricks dominance this season, just imagine next year with Jr. on board.

I bet there are A LOT of Earnhardt Sr./Jr. fans out there that are full blown rabid right now.

And with the way this season's played out so far, the #25 seat appears to be a bit more secure than #5. The race to snag a ride on the Dream Team is on.

C'mon Casey.
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post #94 of 214
6/13/07 at 1:21pm
Thread Starter 


It's official...

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has joined Hendrick Motorsports for the 2008 season. He's signed a 5 year contract with them.

This is great news. I honestly can't wait for this season to hurry up and finish so we can get to next season. The NASCAR doesn't seem to have imploded yet. I wonder what B.S. Jr.'s fans will start spewing now about Jeff Gordon.
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post #95 of 214
6/13/07 at 6:10pm
Well, how about that. I guess we're really going to see how good Jr is now that he'll have the same equipment, and probably very similar setups, to Gordon and JJ. There ain't going to be any more excuses for him now. I imagine the can-throwing fan base is all 'say it isn't so?' at this point.
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post #96 of 214
6/13/07 at 6:20pm
Apparently Kyle is looking to get out of his contract at HMS anyway.

How convenient.
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post #97 of 214
6/13/07 at 10:12pm
Thread Starter 


Kyle is out of his contract. Rick mentioned that at the press conference today. They were in negotiations to extend it after 2008 but (paraphrasing) "since Kyle is still a young guy and a proven winner he has to look to the future. There's been some better deals offered to him and he's taken an interest. So we discussed and both came to an agreement."

So Kyle's done at the end of the year. He released a statement earlier today basically just spewing the same B.S. all drivers do, "I love this team and will work hard until the end of the year to bring home some wins."

I think Hendrick really started taking notice with how much of a hazard Busch is after he bashed the hell out of the COT at Bristol (after winning the race) AND when he ditched the team at Texas and they had to ask Earnhardt Jr. to fill in for the rest of the race. Plus the pathetic wreck between Kyle and his brother at the All Star race probably didn't help much either.

So things did sort of fall into place. Rick is usually the type of guy to stick by his drivers and give them chances but I guess once these problem arose and Earnhardt Jr. became available he couldn't let it go. Do you realize how much money Hendrick stands to make off of this now? Man... that team will be unbeatable next year with the amount of shit they'll be able to afford now. They could buy one of those fancy seven post shaker rig things for each team now.

And I'm really looking forward to seeing who's Jr. sponsor and car number will be and which DEI crew members will defect to Hendrick.

And all those beer can tossing hillbillies are probably up on their roofs throwing beer cans into the street at any blue Chevy that drives by.
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post #98 of 214
6/17/07 at 6:51pm
Thread Starter 
Something weird must have happened during the race today since Michael Waltrip was somehow able to actually finish... AND finish in 10th place. The hell? Carl Edwards wins putting an end to the Chevy domination and Martin Truex Jr and Casey Mears ran great as well. J. Gordon came home 9th.
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post #99 of 214
6/21/07 at 12:02am
Thread Starter 
http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/head...aby/index.html

Quote:
Gordon, Vandebosch welcome baby Ella Sofia
By NASCAR.COM
June 20, 2007
03:15 PM EDT

Jeff Gordon and Ingrid Vandebosch on Wednesday welcomed a new daughter into the world, according to the driver's Web site. Ella Sofia Gordon was born at 9:09 a.m., weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and was 20 inches long.

"It's been an absolutely incredible experience," Gordon said. "Ingrid came through amazingly and we're both really happy and overjoyed. We can't wait to get home and start our lives together as a family."

The four-time Cup Series champion will travel to Sonoma, Calif., later this week and is scheduled to participate in all on-track activities at Infineon Raceway, site of Sunday's Cup race.
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post #100 of 214
6/22/07 at 4:13pm
Thread Starter 
http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/head...ion/index.html

Quote:
Gordon, Johnson fail qualifying inspection
By NASCAR.COM
June 22, 2007
03:07 PM EDT

SONOMA, Calif. -- Nextel Cup Series points leader Jeff Gordon and defending series champion Jimmie Johnson, both of the Hendrick Motorsports stable, have failed inspection at Infineon Raceway.

The cars of neither Gordon, the defending race champion, nor Johnson will be allowed to practice or qualify Friday.

NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said both cars "failed the initial inspection ... as a result of body modifications found to be outside NASCAR tolerances. The front fender [of both cars] was modified outside of NASCAR regulations. They did not meet the C2 template inspection."

According to Poston, Hendrick Motorsports' No. 5 and No. 25 cars, for Kyle Busch and Casey Mears, passed inspections.

Poston added, "both teams have an opportunity to repair and resubmit their cars" for inspection by the end of the day Friday. "Assuming they pass inspection, they can practice [Saturday] and start at the rear of the field [Sunday]," he said.

"It's important to know this is a Car of Tomorrow penalty," Poston said of the short-term severity of the sanction. "The inspection process and NASCAR's response to Car of Tomorrow violations are going to be more severe.

"We're going to keep this car in check. It's important to know all cars in the field are starting out equal and have the ability to win the race."
Well, as much as it pains me to say it, give them hefty point and money fines. NASCAR pretty much has to follow through with something like this since they've done the same to other teams. Plus Knaus (Johnson's crew chief) has been caught numerous times cheating. I say suspend him again.
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