NASCAR’s Biggest Fan - Ron Ripple

Ok…. If you’re not sure who Lagano is… he’s NASCAR’s biggest hype since the invention of the wheel.  He’s the young kid that so many claim to be the next superstar and the kid Joe Gibbs has taken under his wing since 2005.  Joey Lagano has just turned 18 years old and is officially allowed to enter into a NASCAR race.  So this weekend is his debut at Dover Interenational Speedway racing in the #20 GameStop Camry in the Nationwide Series owned by Joe Gibbs.  Will he make history and become NASCAR’s most talked about driver?  Who knows but he better do well this weekend or he’s going to let down a lot of people.

NASCAR’s Biggest Hype meets NASCAR’s Biggest Fan Joey Lagano has been described by many including Mark Martin as a driver who “can be one of the greatest who ever raced in NASCAR.” He ws 15 years old when Mark Martin said this to Joe Gibbs, so Joe Gibbs saw the talent and took him under his wing by signing him to his developmental program.  Obviously he impressed Gibbs over the past few years because this weekend he will be testing his skills with some of the Nationwide Serie’s best drivers.

It sounds like some big shoes to fill if you ask me.  I’m glad to see this little guy’s nuts finally dropped and is allowed to start racing with the big boys.  This is going to be a lot of fun to watch… he’s jumping in the #20 car who has been driven by Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch.  The car is a proven winner and has won 6 out of it’s 13 starts this year.  So this weekend it’s all up to Lagano to prove to the world what everyone’s been speculating. 

If you want to ask me what I think is going to happen this weekend, I’d have to say… Lagano is going to have a good start, he’ll end up holding a solid top 12, then he’ll decide to start making moves on drivers to try and gain positions.  He’s going to eventually over step his boundaries and make a mistake, he’ll either tap the wall or get loose and spin out.  If he doesn’t spin out he’ll earn a top 12 position and get even more hype from the NASCAR community.  But I think he’s going to learn a lot over the next few racers and I do think he’s got potential to make some money and win some races.

 What are your predictions for Little Lagano this weekend?  Is he going to live up to the HYPE he’s been getting for the last three years?  Give me some details… I wanna know what you all are thinking.

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NASCAR handed down some stiff penalties to the Haas CNC team for altering the location of the upper mounting points on the rear wing of the No. 66 and No. 70 car this past Saturday.  Supposedly the NASCAR officials got a tip from a garage “rat” claiming the team had done some modifications to their car that would better the aerodynamics.  NASCAR immediately impounded both cars this past Saturday and took them to their secret research and development center located in Concord, NC.  Once the infractions were confirmed by “the secret” research and development center, the Haas CNC team was then hit HARD with the penalties.

1. No. 66 driver Scott Riggs penalized 150 Championship points
2. No. 66 Crew Chief Bootie Barker fined $100,000 and suspended for 6 races
3. No. 66 Car Chief Derrick Jennings also suspended for 6 races
4. No. 70 Driver Johnny Sauter penalized 150 Championship points
5. No. 70 Crew Chief Dave Skog fined $100,000 and suspended for 6 races
6. No. 70 Car Chief Thomas Harris also suspended for 6 races
7. No. 66 and No. 77 team owners Joe Custer and Margaret Haas each lost 150 owner point

Let’s just say the teams took a beating for doing a very stupid thing.  Neither one of the cars were in the top 20 for the year and after watching the Coca-Cola 600 this past weekend, they still finished 26th and 35th in their back up cars.  Both teams were sitting mid to back of the pack with the modifications, so you have to wonder who made the decision in the garage to make the change?  Whomever that person was… they need to put a blind fold on and let everyone take a swing at him.  The team owners (if they weren’t involved) need to think about their program and make some changes.  Last time Haas CNC made the headlines was when rumors were going around about Tony Stewart and the possibility of him joining the team as an owner/driver after his contract comes up. 

I always say that it’s better to have “bad press” than no press at all.  But I don’t think this kind of bad press is doing anything for these guys.  It’s only costing them money and making them look like a bunch of cheaters.  I know teams always try and push the limit on modifying the cars and making changes that will benefit them, but when you cross the line, it officially becomes illegal.   If I were Margaret Haas, I’d make these crew chiefs come over to my house and weed my front lawn… and I can guaranttee Margaret Haas has a large front yard. 

 What do you guys think about the penalties?  You think maybe the crew chiefs had no clue they were breaking the rules or do you think they knew what they were doing and trying to get a competitive advantage over the rest of the feild?

 On a side note: There were some small penalties handed out to three members of the #88 Nationwide Series team for getting into a brawl on Saturday after the #20 car intentionally gave the #88 car a love tap during one of the cautions on Saturday night’s race. 

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Who would have thunk it? Not to sound cocky and obnoxious, but when I pick the winner of Sunday’s race you can guarantee that I put a little hop in my skip the next day! My pick last weekend for the Coca-Cola 600 was Kasey Kahne… and yes… he owned it. The young star was very consistant this past weekend and consistency was the key to winning. The Coca-Cola 600 was the longest race of the season and as the saying goes it was “survival of the fittest.” Kasey Kahne may not have had the quickest car or the fastest laps, but he definitely had the “fittest” car and survived the 600 laps.

I think the fastest car of the weekend had to be Tony Stewart, Brian Vickers or Dale Earnhardt Jr. Brian Vickers stole the lead from Kyle Busch early on in the race and continued to lead the race for 61 laps. If Vickers wouldn’t have crashed his car, he would have been a force to be reckoned with instead of being the force that “wrecked”. (?)Tony Stewart on the other hand has had some poor luck this season and this race was just proof as to what he’s been dealing with. He also had a strong car and didn’t make it to the front till late in the race, and just when you thought Tony was going to get his big win for the year with only three laps remaining, he blows a tire and ends up in the wall. You all know Tony is my boy, I was on the edge of my seat for all 61 laps he led. I guess the only negative that goes into Tony Stewart leading is the fact my beer gets piss warm because I hadn’t moved an inch.

Dale Earnahrdt Jr. was yet another guy with a fast car. When he shot out to the front the crowd was going absolutely crazy. Even I was excited when I saw him dominate the race for a solid amount of laps… I thought he had the race in the bag until the damn wall jumped out and tapped him on the side. He fell back and still finished with an impressive fifth, it just goes to show that the car was strong even with all the damage. These COT cars slip and slide all over the place! (in my opinion)

So the talk of the past few weeks has been Kasey Kahne and the lucky streak he’s been on. I have to admit, he didn’t have “THE” car of the race this weekend, but yet again he stayed consistant and strong throughout the entire race. I thought he was a contender throughout the whole race, but in reality he was probably a second or third place car at that. But Luck plays a big role in this sport we call NASCAR, just look at Tony Stewart. If the guy had even a 1/4 as much luck as Kasey Kahne, he would have won this race.

I had an incredible day watching this race, and probably had more beers than I should have. A case of beer… it could’ve been worse considering how long the race was, but when you’re on the inside of the wall and you have thousands of screaming fans with you… the beers just flow. What do you think about the race? Who do you think should have won? Tony? Earnhardt Jr? Biffle? I will say if Biffle had more laps he might be the one I’m writing this article about… but then again he didn’t! The man DID accept my beer after the race though…I also plan on getting into the big drama/fight that took place on Saturday… stay tuned Ron Ripplers! I have to make a few calls to some of the pit crew and make sure my story is straight. (photos compliments of Nascar.com)

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It’s tough to find a news source that isn’t talking about Kyle Busch and his bad boy attitude.  Well I hate to say it but he’s going to be in a little bit of the discussion today here at Ron Ripple.com.  Kyle Busch has once again, earned his spot as the pole sitter for the longest race of the season, the Coca Cola 600.  NASCAR’s cockiest driver Kyle Busch is starting to earn his respect as he continues to dominate the NASCAR circuit with already three wins, two poles, and eight top 10 finishes.  If I were a betting man…. I wouldn’t count him out.

 Last night was qualifying for the Coca Cola 600 and ya ya ya…  Kyle Busch is sitting on the pole.  Who would have thought?  NASCAR’s most discussed driver is actually winning races and “sitting on poles.”  HAHA!  You have to admit… the kid is taking the NACAR world by storm with his negative press.  And as Michael Jackson would say “There’s no such thing as bad press.”  I hate to admit it, but I actually enjoy watching Kyle Busch on and off the track.  He’s like a combination of Dale Earnhardt Sr’s aggressive driving, and Tony Stewarts cocky “doesn’t give a ****” about what anyone says.  I know I flip flop each week about whether I like the kid or not, but for this week I’m actually enjoying him.

 Kasey Kahne (Spelling is correct this article) on the other hand is a driver this year who is just starting to make the headlines.  It’s more of a “the kid didn’t deserve to win the All-Star race and got lucky” kind of headlines, but at least he’s starting to come on to the scene.  So after his All-Star drama/win last weekend, the kid is starting to get his confidence back and it looks like it’s already starting to kick in.  He’s officially sitting 2nd in qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 which is a huge step considering he has had “0″ top 5 finishes this year.  I have a feeling Kasey is going to earn his wings this race and shut up all those reporters that are saying he’s not an elite racer.  Once this kid gets his confidence back, he’s going to realize he cannot only hang with the big boys, but he’s actually a BIG BOY himself. 

Hopefully the Coca-Cola 600 will be a bit more exciting than the All-Star race.  It doesn’t look like any manufacturer is dominating when it comes to qualifying.  There’s only 2 Toyotas, 3 Dodges, 2 Fords, and 3 Chevrolets… so the feild is pretty spread out when it comes to that.  Below is a list of the top 10 qualifiers for the Coca-Cola 600.

I think my pick for this race is going to be based on history.  Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson looked like they owned this track back in the years of 2004 - 2006 so those might be some good picks.  But I remember Ryan Newman loves this track and always seems to get the pole when qualifying so I’m shocked he qualified 39th this year.  If I go off this season and who did well on the intermediate tracks, I have to go with Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kyle Busch.  Alright here’s my picks… I’m going to throw everyone for a loop this go round:

Winner - Kasey Kahne!

Sleeper - Matt Kenseth!

DNF - Kyle Busch (Motor Problems - Hopefully he doesn’t read this!)

Alright… I want everyone to make their picks for this race.  Tell me who you think is going to win… and then who you think will come out of no where and make a show.  And just for fun… tell me who you think has no chance or will have motor problems.  Let’s hear your thoughts about some of these racers!

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I’m starting to think IndyCar racing is officially the next “stepping stone” to NASCAR.  The latest rumors on the streets are Danica Patrick and now Helio Castroneves are thinking about making the move to NASCAR.  It’s Obvious that NASCAR is the most popular, most televised, and most watched car racing series of all times, and it looks like the big names of IndyCar are starting to realize this.

 If you haven’t noticed, a number of IndyCar racers have already made the move to NASCAR…  Sam Hornish Jr. and Dario Franchitti are two IndyCar champions who have joined the NASCAR world, and it seems as though they aren’t going anywhere.  

Wow… Danica Patrick Danica Patrick, one of IndyCar’s most famous drivers, just attended the Sprint Cup race in Phoenix this year and there were rumors going around she was thinking about making the move.  It seems as though her contract isn’t going to be coming up until 2009, which means there is a good possibility she could be the next “FACE” of NASCAR.  In my opinion I would welcome her with open arms…  NASCAR is going to be a forever growing sport, and as long as there are a number of different personalities and characters for fans to grab hold of, the sport will continue to grow. 
Helio CastronevesHelio Castroneves is another IndyCar star that may also make the move over to NASCAR.  If you think about it… it wouldn’t be a hard move for him since he already races for Team Penske which is owned by Roger Penske who already has a three car NASCAR team.   Helio Castroneves is another personality that would come into the NASCAR world and bring more attention to the sport.  If it were up to me, I would welcome all these drivers in with open arms.  I can’t say I would be a big fan of Helio, but I think it’s only going to continue to build our sport and make it a domination.

NASCAR is a sport that will be around forever and is only going to continue to grow.  Big names like Helio Castroneves and Danica Patrick will only help the sport and continue to make it “THE” auto racing sport of the world.  I personally won’t be a supportive fan of these two if they decide to start racing NASCAR but I do think it will bring in different crowds.  Danica will bring in the females and Helio will bring in the South American support which will make it a more world wide sport. 

The good thing is… if these two decide to start racing NASCAR, I am guaranteed not to see any of them out at the bars.  Danica would probably be at a fancy club drinking Martinis or Cosmopolitans, and Helio would probably be at a Ballroom dancing with Jeff Gordon.

What are your thoughts?  Are you for or against IndyCar racers trying to join the group? 

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 This past Saturday’s race was an interesting race to say the least.  In my previous post I stated it was going to be one hell-uv-a showdown with some aggressive driving and some crazy personalities.  Unfortunately it was none of this… It was a fun race to watch because it was unknown as to who was going to be the victor, but it definitely wasn’t a showdown like I was expecting. From the very beginning, Kyle Busch shot out and dominated the race by almost a quarter of a lap, until the second segment when his motor blew up.  (Obviously the Gibbs team tested the Toyota package they had from the beginning of the year because almost everyone on the team blew a motor.)  But Kyle Busch did some serious domination with Carl Edwards not far behind him.  The first two segments weren’t all that exciting with most of the battling taking place in the 12th and 13th positions.  Once Kyle Busch’s motor blew up at the end of the second segment, it looked like it was going to be a Carl Edwards race since he had the fastest car on the track.

 I was comletely taken back when the third segment started and Carl Edwards lost four positions in the first couple laps.  It looked as if making no changes to his car in between segments was not such a good idea.  The third segment was dominated by Biffle, with a number of different drivers working their way up to the front.  Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, and Dale Earnahrdt Jr. were a number of racers that were working their asses off to get to the front.  All were running strong but it seemed as though none of them had enough because in each segment there was only ONE car that led most of the laps.

 The Fourth Segment was where all the hard work and strategy paid off.  In between the third and fourth segment, the teams had a decision to make.  “Take two tires, take four tires, or don’t take any tires at all.”  There were a few drivers that took “No tires’ and these driver’s ended up on top.  Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne were two of those drivers that decided to take no tires and these guys came out of the pits the fastest.  Greg Biffle, who was the fastest car for a majority of the race decided to take two tires and I can guarantee he’s regretting it now.  Kasey Kahne who was the “Fan Vote” jumped up to the front position and was tough to get around.  Greg Biffle who took the two tires was on his tail the whole segment and admitted he only had once chance to pass and couldn’t take advantage of it.

I think it’s huge a driver who wasn’t even supposed to be in the race took home $1,000,000.  The fans wanted to see him race and boy did he give them a show.  He passed a ton of cars to make it to the top 10 and when it came down to making a decision about tires, he made the right one and that’s all that counts.  He didn’t crawl his way up to the front and techinically “EARN” the #1 position, but his team made the right decision and they took advantage of it.  Kasey Kahne won the race and took home the money.  Congratulations to him!

Even though I’m a huge Tony Stewart fan, I was really hoping for a Dale Earnhardt Jr win.  He was in the top 5 throughout the whole race and looked like he was going to be a player at the end.   I guess the Hendrick Motorsports team just had nothing for them at this race.  I was extremely disappointed with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson… two racers that were supposed to OWN this track.  The only reason why Jimmie Johnson was in the top 5 was because he took no tires. 

 Overall I have to admit it wasn’t the most aggressive driving or exciting race I’ve ever seen.  There were no wrecks, no bumping, no fighting, and no drama.  This was supposed to be a race where the driver’s would let their hair down and do things out of character.  It was almost as if they were all being gentlemen!  I was shocked!

 What do you think about the race?  Obviously nobody won the contest from my previous post because Kasey Kahne was voted in last minute.  But look for a new contest maybe for the 600.  I like to see who people vote for.

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This Saturday is the 24th running of the All Star race at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and all I can say is… “Damn I’m excited.” To me, this is a race where champions get together and show each other what they’ve got. I think we’re going to see the typical domination by Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and of course we’ll probably see Dale Earnhardt up there in the hunt… but it’s a chance for everyone to battle it out and earn a HUGE income for the year.

The All Star race is an interesting race to say the least… anyone has a chance to win it because every 25 laps they allow the drivers to pit and make changes to the car such as fuel, tires, and standard chassis adjustments. Once they’ve made the adjustments they restart the cars in the order in which they finished the previous segment. They do this a total of three times and then the last 25 laps is “Do or Die.” Only one car can win, and that winner will receive a purse of over $1,000,000. Now you tell me, this isn’t going to be a crazy race.

In my opinion… I believe we’re going to see some different sides to a lot of these drivers. We can all agree that Tony Stewart is going to be doing his standard “bumping his way up through the pack” as well as Kyle Busch’s “driving like Dale Earnhardt Sr.” But if I were to be a betting man, I would have to once again pick Carl Edwards to be up there in the front… and then my second pick would have to go to Denny Hamlin.  Carl Edwards has been the guy to beat this year along with Kyle Busch, he’s got the drive to win and of course the kid has been practicing his back flips, so I’ve got to give him that.  Denny Hamlin on the other hand has kind of been like Burton… the silent but deadly driver who stays out of the controversy and doesn’t make a big scene.  Those are the guys you need to be afraid of… ALWAYS in the hunt.

Let’s make this Post a “Who’s your pick?”

The winner will get a “Ron Ripple” T-shirt…

You only get one pick, so make sure you do your homework.

Below is a list of the Driver’s eligible for this race:

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Anyone sick of hearing me talk about 23 year old NASCAR super star Kyle Busch? I’m guessing yes… so I’ll keep it short. Kyle Busch is dominating NASCAR! Every fan in those stands are on their feet when Kyle Busch crossed the finish line. Whether they’re booing or cheering, Kyle is being HEARD! Through all the boos from the crowd in the stands, Kyle was able to hear a jeer from one of Earnhardt Jr’s crew and in return Kyle flipped him the bird. Now that is funny!

I feel bad for one guy, Greg Biffle in the number 16 car. Wow! The man would have a couple more wins under his belt if it weren’t for the bad luck he’s been experiencing this season. Biffle lead 95 laps Saturday Night at Darlington until he had to pit a few times for loose tires and then coming into the pits for the last time with his first DNF this season. A blown engine would ripple through his mind as he went through the last few race frustrations. He wouldn’t take the ice cold beer I offered him after Saturday’s race… at this point I knew he was hurtin on the inside. Trust when I say that Biffle never refuses a beer after a great night of racing.

On a side note… My pick for Saturday night’s fastest race in history at Darlington didn’t do too bad. Carl Edwards didn’t get the win, but a second place allowed him to move 3 spots up in overall Sprint Cup Points sitting in 7th. Now let’s get ready for the BIG race, NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowes Motor Speedway. I’ll have my picks later in the week… Tony Stewart has been quiet lately, I’m expecting something from him very soon. Should be one helluva race!

(kick ass photo from nascar.com, I can’t believe they caught me in the back.)

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If I was a betting man, I’d put my money on Carl Edwards for the big win in Darlington this weekend. With 6 top 10’s, 5 top 5’s and 3 wins… he’s ready for his next. Carl recently resigned with car owner Rousch Fenway and you can bet he and his crew are pumped for the track in Darlington. As I’m writing this post, he’s currently sitting 24th fastest in practice. My guess is that he’s laying low for the big race come Sunday or atleast hoping this is what he’s doing. I’m not trying to put myself out there for him to make me look bad and coming in 20th place. I also noted in the header Denny Hamlin, you just can’t count this kid out. (he’s my back up)

Darlington is back on the schedule and most drivers are excited. I was in the pits the last few days and spoke with some of the big names like Gordon (wine drinker), Earnhardt Jr, Stewart, and Hamlin. They all tell me the same thing… each are telling me how they’re going to snag the win on this 1.366 mile track. Junior seemed a bit distracted with all the controversy in the air about Kyle Busch being compared to his father senior. He and anyone that knew Earnhardt Sr knows that Busch is absolutely nothing like him. I guess it’s just this big rivalry the press is putting together. I’ll be interested to see how this pans out.

I’m not asking who would win on a heads up race between Earnhardt Jr and Busch, the question I’m asking is who you think would win in a fist fight!!!! My thoughts? Dale Jr would own Kyle off the track securing the Belt (like wrestling). Kyle just looks like a twerp to me. Your thoughts?

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Kyle Busch had a great finish this weekend in both the Sprint and Nationwide Cup! He was able to secure a 2nd place in the Crown Royal 400 and a 3rd place in the Lipton 250 on Friday night. It’s too bad the young gun with all his great finishes is making more enemies than friends. I’ve come up with a simple theory of why this is the case after doing hours of research… Kyle Busch and his fetish of kissing bumpers!

Just remember you heard this first from Ron Ripple! I didn’t just pull this out of the air and after doing hours of research I was able to secure a few pieces of evidence and it just so happens two of the articles of evidence was from THIS weekend’s races. Without further adeui… here is Kyle Busch and Jr interviews after the act of Kissing Bumpers. When I say kissing, I hope at this point you understand that I mean wrecking.

The kiss Kyle Busch gave during the Lipton 250 race was even better! He and Steven Wallace battle it out on and off the race track. Here’s yet another reason why the fans and fellow racers dislike Kyle Busch.

Are you a fan of Kyle Busch? There’s no doubt he’s a great racer but what do you think of Kyle off the track?

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