NASCAR’s Biggest Fan - Ron Ripple

Since Tony Stewart will be leaving the Joe Gibbs Team at the end of the season, Joe Gibbs now has an available seat that is in need of a fresh driver.  Is Logano the Man or shall I say “boy” for the job?  He has proven his ability in the Nationwide Series, but does he have the experience to play with the big dogs?

Joey Logano is an incredibly talented driver who has proved himself to the world that he can compete with the Nationwide Series drivers at the young age of 18.  When he turned 18 years old he raced his first race with the Nationwide series and ended up with a 6th place.  Nobody expected him to do as well as he did and he’s been proving himself ever since with 2 poles and 1 win having only competed in a total of 5 races.  Joey Logano is the real deal… but does he have enough experience to compete with the big dogs in the Sprint Cup?

I think Joey Logano is a great driver but personally don’t think he has enough experience to compete with the Sprint Cup racers.  On Sunday the top racers in the WORLD drive out on the track and every one of them has the ability and talent that Logano has.  The difference between Joey Logano and Tony Stewart is experience and the only way to gain experience is to continue to race with the Nationwide guys.

If I were Joe Gibbs I would weigh out my options and make sure I’m making the right decision.  Joey Logano is an incredible racer and will one day be on top in Sprint Cup Series but now is not the time.  There are so many great drivers out there jockeying for position and trying to secure a spot for next year.

Ryan Newman for example is one of those great drivers looking to make a decision on where he’s going to be racing next year.  We all know rumors are stating he’s looking to join Tony Stewart in his venture but why would you, as an experienced and top driver, pick a team who will be going through growing pains for the next year or so?  Newman should join a team that knows how to win and who has the formula to win, that team being Joe Gibbs in the #20 car.

The Man, the myth, the legend, GREGGGG ZIPADELLLLIIIII

Whoever drive’s for the #20 car next year is going to be sitting in a proven car.  The #20 car is a winning car that has not only won races but has also won Championships.  It’s a car that comes with an experienced crew led by crew chief Greg Zipadelli… so the future of this car is in good hands and will have the ability to win.

It has to be tough as a crew cheif not knowing who your driver will be next year.  I’m sure he’s focused on this year but with all the hype and rumors going around about the #20 car, I’ll bet he’s anxious to find out.  Who knows… maybe he already knows who will be racing with him.  I guess the only thing we can do is wait and see. 

I feel like the only thing we hear these days are rumors… the only FACTS out there is Tony Stewart changing teams and Jeff Gordon popping more wine bottles.  One of these days I’m going to get Gordon to do a keg stand… So if you’re out there reading this Jeff, you better start practicing.

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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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