NASCAR’s Biggest Fan - Ron Ripple

Dale Earnhardt Jr must be on cloud 88 right now after a HUGE win at Michigan International Speedway! It took 76 races for Jr to finally get back in the winner’s circle and who does he have to thank but gambling man Crew Chief, Tony Eury Jr (and himself of course). Like any other race this season, it came down to strategy.  I was on the edge of my seat when I heard the Amp #88 was going to be staying out on the track with not enough fuel to finish the race. I thought at that moment, gas prices are up… try to conserve as much as you can and save the Hendrick’s team a buck! It was going to come down to a yellow flag for Earnhardt to conserve as much fuel as possible to coast for a win. All and all it was a well deserved win and I couldn’t have been more proud. Just watching him turning the engine off and on while coasting through the caution laps I for a second there didn’t think it was going to happen. Did I mention they tacked on two more laps for the green white checkered?

The one thing I love about NASCAR is the fact that every team is out for the win! It’s decisions like Sunday that show the true champions and just a top 10 finish. It’s not often you’ll hear a post race interview with a HAPPY second place or third place driver. They seem to always be disappointed and why not? They had the chance to take home the victory and they fell short.

Not everyone had a good day, Greg Biffle decided on lap 186 to come into the pits to change two tires and to also clip his tire changer knocking him over. We know the tire changer had a bad day, he might be a little sore for a while! We can’t forget Sam Hornish Jr as he was leading towards the end of the race battling with Jimmie Johnson. Hornish finished in 22nd after spinning out on lap 198 but fortunately being able to fire it back up and stay on the lead lap. Whew, a guy with an even worse day was team owner Chip Ganassi. His three drivers finished with a DFL which stands for dead f… last (Dario Franchitti), 38th place (Juan Pablo Montoya), and 34th (Reed Sorenson)… Ouch.

A big congrats to Joey Logano and his first victory after only 3 races in the Nationwide Series. He is officially the youngest driver to ever win a Nationwide Series Race. Eighteen years and 21 days old! We’ll be seeing a lot of this kid. What are your thoughts and what are the major events that stuck in your mind this weekend? Is anyone surprised I didn’t mention Kyle Busch? Oh wait I had too!

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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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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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What a race! It was the story of bad luck for many that lead Clint Boyer to a HUGE win in Richmond Virginia on Saturday night under the lights. It was the Crown Royal 400 and all about Denny Hamlin who not only won Friday night’s Nationwide Cup Race also lead 381 of the first 382 laps on Saturday night’s Sprint Cup race. He was simply dominating, the battle for second place kept Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kyle Busch occupied so that Denny would not be challenged. This is where the story of bad luck snuck into the right front tire of Hamlin causing it to go down costing him the lead and the Win. It was unfortunate, he drove flawless and the team made incredible decisions on and off the track.

Last week I put my money on Earnhardt Jr as he hasn’t had a win in 71 races and the man had been driving strong all season. After Hamlin slowly drifted back the race for first became a battle between Kyle Busch and the current leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. For the first time in the race I was jacked up to see Jr in the lead and won’t lie when I say I had the “I told the reader’s this would happen!” mentality. The attitude I had was quickly taken away when not even a lap and a half after leading the race Kyle Busch and Jr got together forcing Earnhardt into the wall and all his hopes and dreams stolen. Bad luck and Kyle Busch hit Jr soo hard he finished 15th. Oh and that’s where Clint Boyer was able to slide into first and hold position to take the win. (not much to say about the win)

This brings us to the questionable wreck on who is at fault… before I give my two cents I would like to hear from ya’ll. It was quite obvious how the #88 fans felt… serious boo’ing and one of Jr’s crew ended up running over to Kyle Busch after the race giving them some sh!t.

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It’s been a while since I tooted good ol’ Dale Earnhardt Jr’s horn and it’s more than likely because the man hasn’t secured one win this season. Now’s a better time than ever! Toot TOOt! I guess what impress’s me the most is the fact he started the year with a brand new team, a new number/sponsor and he’s in the top 3 overall in points. He’s consistently in the top 10 with 7 top 10’s and 3 top 5’s. He’s been out of the drama lately so we haven’t heard much. I see him around the pits and he’s been begging me to interview him so he gets a little more talk on my site but I just haven’t had the time!

Check out the superbowl commercial AMP Energy drink created. It just shows the true passion, strength and determination Jr displays not only in a desert but also on the track.

I wish him the best of luck in the upcoming races, he’s always impressive and the man NEEDS a win. Maybe if he gets that win I’ll take some time out of my busy beer drinking, nascar talking day and interview him like he asks.

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Wow… Carl Edwards is kicking ass and taking names.  Three wins already this year is pretty ridiculous if you ask me considering it’s only been seven races of the season.  Carl Edwards held off Jimmie Johnson during the restart this past Sunday and prevented the Hendrick Motorsports team from getting into victory lane yet once again. 

The Samsung 500 was an eventful race to say the least.  Gordon battled an ill handling car which resulted in slamming into turn four on lap 109.  Dale Earnhardt Jr who sat on the pole also dealt with an ill handling car which caused him to to finish 12th and a lap down.  Kyle Busch battled it out throughout the whole race and ended up finishing third.  Clint Boyer and Denny Hamlin made contact with each other on the last lap which caused Boyer to hit the wall but still gave him a 10th place finish.

 Of course a Sprint Cup Race wouldn’t be a race without some sort of penalty.  Ryan Newman who finished fourth failed the post race inspection due to the right rear of his car being too high.  As usual the crew cheif was fined $25,000 and the team and owner has been penalized 25 points.  It just seems to me like this year is the year for penalties.  I don’t know if it’s the new COT’s or if these guys are just pushing the limits.

What has been your favorite race to watch this year?  I thought this one was pretty enjoyable.

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The past two years have been dominated by the Hendrick Motorsports team with everyone’s goal to knock them off their high horse.  Well so far this year it’s quite obvious this is the year of the fall of Hendrick Motorsports.  Already with five races complete, Hendrick Motorsports has failed to win a race.  If you were to ask me for a dream team of racers to have racing for me, I would definitely pick Hendrick Motorsport’s team, especially after last year’s wins.

As you all know… I tend to root for the underdogs and like to see battles instead of easy wins.  I really don’t care to see the Hendrick team out there dominating NASCAR.  I wouldn’t mind seeing Dale Earnhardt Jr get his first win but for the rest of them I could care less.  Jeff Gordon has always been a threat, Jimmie Johnson of course is trying to get his three peat and make the record books.  The way these guys are racing it seems to me they may just be “ordinary.”

The last time I hung out with Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon I would have to admit they were just ordinary when it came to slamming some beer.  Everyone seems to think super stars can drink, but I’ll tell you what… I must be the king super star if that’s the case.  If I remember correctly, I think Jeff Gordon asked for a glass of wine.  Now if you were to ask me who I would pick for a “Dream Team” of drinking buddies, I’d definitely have to pick the Gibbs Team.  My boy Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch aren’t scared.  But that’s another subject.

Speaking about Kyle Busch…. He’s the one that got away!  I can guarantee that Rick Hendrick is having seller’s remorse.  Kyle Busch who used to be on the Hendrick Motorsports team last year is leading the points this year and is the guy to beat.  I don’t think I’d feel too good knowing I just sold the guy who could have potentially kept my team on top.  But I guess it’s too early to make that executive decision.  Who knows… I could be eating my words half way through the season.  But for now it seems to be the truth.

Who’s your favorite team this year?

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KYLE BUSCH.  All I have to say is holy shitzu… this kid is good.  I have a feeling that while I was playing with G.I. Joe’s at the age of 3, Kyle Busch was driving the lawn mower learning how to put the pedal to the metal.  This kid was dominating yesterday’s race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway basically the whole time.  If I had to put my money on someone to win the season I would have to say Kyle Busch.  I know I know… kinda obvious since he’s ahead in the points, but I don’t see anyone else putting on a show like this kid.

 Other shoutouts I have to give after watching the race is Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards.  All three ran an incredible race leading quite a few laps.  It was unfortunate Carl Edwards blew an engine after leading for so long but I guess that’s racing.  Dale Earnhardt was in the hunt the whole time and was always a threat.  I’d love to see him win a race and get the taste of victory back in his blood.   Tony Stewart was in the top 10 most of the race but obviously crept up to the front towards the end.

 It was soooo cold this past weekend up there, I was worried that they were going to have to post pone the race again.  I almost wanted to put my bathing suit on and see if the track was a slip in slide because after watching Sunday’s race and seeing those guys slide through the turns I figured it had to be fun.  I talked to Tony Stewart in his hauler after the race on Sunday and he was not too happy about the tires Goodyear brought to this race.  He said it was the worst tires he’s ever used and that Goodyear better step up their “A” game if they want to get off his “Shit List.”

Overall I have to admit I really enjoyed watching this race.  It was definitely a driver’s course with the rough conditions of the track and the poor tires Goodyear brought.  Three of my favorite drivers, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, and Dale Earnhardt Jr finished in the top three and I’m already excited for next weekend.  It feels like these weeks are flying by…  we’re almost a month into the season. 

 I’m glad to be back… now let’s get cooking on those comments.  I want to hear your opinions.

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I don’t know about you… but I’m about sick of this mother nature crap. Rain delay upon Rain Delay and now I’m sitting here about to watch The Simpsons. I’m supposed to be watching the best sport on God’s Green Earth. NASCAR!

Thus far I’m very impressed with the way the race has gone. Lots have craziness has happened in these few laps. Casey Mears is out of the big showdown with a flipped car and it’s sad to see Dale Jr. out of the big picture but you can’t blame him for what happened on the track today. Jeff Gordan and his team mate Jimmy Johnson have been dominating, and Kyle Busch once again is running with an extrmely fast car.

I’m too depressed to write much, I’ll give y’all a full update of my feelings this evening or first thing in the morning. Nothing against The Simpsons, but I’m bout out of beer and to see the Nascar Race in California in another rain delay is a SERIOUS buzz kill!

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WOWWWWWWWW…. so there were some serious teams from this past weekend’s Daytona 500 that got penalized for some sort of infraction. The biggest penalty went to Robby Gordon after inspectors found an illegal bumper on the front of the car. NASCAR officials gave him a 100 point penalty, fined his crew cheif $100,000, and suspended his crew cheif for 6 races. Overall it dropped him from 9th place down to 40th place. Another team that got penalized last weekend in the Craftsman Truck Series was my boy Todd Bodine. He was penalized for an infraction the inspectors caught before qualifying. So the good news is he still won the race fair and square, but the bad news is he is penalized 25 points, his crew cheif fined $10,000 and his crew cheif is suspended for 4 races.

Here’s the news I know a lot of my readers are going to be extremely concerned about. Dale Earnhardt Jr was penalized 50 points for having an illegal spoiler on his car. His crew cheif was fined $25,000 and also given a 6 race suspension. The good news is it was for the Nationwide Series which still leaves him in the hunt for the Sprint Cup Series. Of all the drivers from this past weekend’s race… I would have never guessed we’d see Dale Earnhardt Jr’s name on the list of penalized drivers. It’s just unfortunate these teams aren’t following the rules and are trying to get away with little modifications. Can’t these teams just race fair and square and follow the rules?

The biggest news from this past weekend’s race is Officials found a hidden bottle of NOS in the trunk of Kurt Busch’s race car. Supposedly he hit the button on the last lap of the restart to give Ryan Newman his push to victory. The question that is confusing officials is how did he get that bottle through inspection the morning of the race. HAHAHAHA… I’m only kidding!!!!! Kurt Busch didn’t have a bottle of NOS in his car, but I know I had you going because the way he pushed Ryan Newman to the front of the pack on the last lap of that race is unbelievable.

Anyway, let me know what your opinion is on the infractions. Why would a team put an illegal part on their car the first race of the season?

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