NASCAR’s Biggest Fan - Ron Ripple

Rumor: Tony Stewart is joining Haas/CNC next year!

I mentioned earlier in the year we heard some rumors Tony Stewart was entertaining an offer Haas/CNC made him in regards to joining the team.  Well the rumors may be facts… Tony Stewart has been granted a release from his 2009 contract with Joe Gibbs Racing and will be moving on over to Haas/CNC as part owner.  Rumor has it Tony is changing the team name to Stewart Haas Racing and plans on having a two car team. 

Rumor: Ryan Newman is going to drive for Stewart Haas Racing! 

 Who would be the possible two car team with Tony Stewart?  Ryan Newman… rumor has it Ryan Newman is also joining Tony Stewart in his venture and plans on leaving Penske for good.  Tony Stewart would be sponsored by Olde Spice and Office depot, Ryan Newman is looking to get sponsored by Jack Daniels.  The two would make an incredible team and eventually become a power player.

Rumor: Newman leaving the #12, Stremme will be replacement!

If the rumors are true and Ryan Newman plans on joining forces with Tony Stewart in the 2009 year, who will take the #12 spot with Penske?  The rumor on the street is Stremme is a good possibility for jumping behind the wheel.  Stremme is a strong racer and deserves to be running up front with a strong team.  Chip Ganassi made the mistake of replacing Stremme with Dario Franchitti which we now know was a HUGE mistake.  I’m not so sure how true this rumor will be, especially since he’s been testing with three different teams. 

 Rumor: Martin Truex Jr. received stiff penalties!

Martin Truex Jr. and the DEI car was rumored to have an illegal roof after they failed the Daytona inspections at the Coke Zero 400.  Well the Rumors are true!  Truex received an extremely stiff penalty yesterday for their car failing to fit the roof template.  Truex was docked 150 points which dropped him from 14th place to 18th place in the Sprint Cup standings and hurting his chances of making the chase.  He is now 238 points from Tony Stewart and only 4 races away from getting to into the chase.  I hate to admit it but the kids chances are gone!  Unless he trades bodies with Kyle Busch and puts a Nitrous bottle in the car… I don’t see him winning the next 4 races.

Rumor: Is Teresa Earnhardt stepping down from DEI?

Rumor on the street is Teresa Earnhardt has enlisted Bear Stearns and Co to help find a wealthy investor or buyer to step in and help with the financials.  If you want my opinion Teresa Earnhardt has destroyed DEI from ever becoming a big player in the sport.  The reason why DEI was created was so that when Dale Earnhardt retired or kicked the can, his kids would have a strong team to race for.  Well obviously that didn’t happen and Teresa lost the heart of the team, that being Dale Earnhardt Jr.

 The Rumors are spreading… Man I love NASCAR!

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The Coke Zero 400 was a race that goes down in the history books for it’s photo finish that couldn’t be called till the tapes were reviewed.  Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards were literally nose and nose, racing for the finish as a huge wreck took place behind them making the race a difficult race to call.  Kyle Busch just barely took the win with Carl Edwards less than a foot away from being crowned the Coke Zero 400 champion.

The photo finish!

Kyle Busch says he was on the edge of his seat doing everything he could to prevent a repeat of last years race with him taking second place to Jamie McMurray after a  similar situation with a photo finish.

In my opinion the real talk of the day should be about Dale Earnhardt Jr and his domination of this race that resulted in earning his 8th place finish.  The kid was driving around the course as if he owned it and nobody deserved to be on it but himself.  He was driving so aggressive and passionately that I was afraid he was going to wreck Jimmie Johnson when he dared to get in front of him.  He led more laps than anyone but when they counted he got left hung to dry and drifted back to the 10th place position.  In his post race interview he said there were a lot of ignorant drivers in the final laps and he claims he deserved a top 5 finish.

I guess if winning a race means Dale Jr needs to be ignorant than I guess he better start learning how.  Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and of course Kyle Busch were making runs for the front.  They didn’t hesitate when it came down to racing hard and doing what it takes to get out in front.

Two guys I need to give a lot of credit to even though they didn’t make it to the front is Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch.  Both started in the back of the pack and both made it to the top 10.  Kasey Kahne started in 41st position and picked off every driver as he made is way towards the front giving him a 7th place finish.  Kurt Busch also started in 36th position and also made is way to the front giving him a 4th place finish.  I guess when you’ve got a strong car and know how to drive it you can do anything.

This was one of my favorite races to watch.  It was action packed and reminded me of what true racing is. What did everyone think of my boy Tony Stewart and the good ol switcharoo allowing Yeley to step up and drive it like he stole it? Stewart had an extremely strong car racing in the top 3. Was I the only one to notice that Vickers was the cause of at least two of the wrecks?

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There was only 17 laps remaining in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 race with Kurt Busch in the lead when race officials made a quick decision to call it a day and put the toys away due to weather.  Kurt Busch had luck on his side yesterday allowing him to end his 29 race winless streak.  At the end of the race during a caution, Kurt Busch’s team decided to keep him out on the race course which allowed him to crawl up into first place and ended up earning him the win. 

Tony Stewart who also has a ridiculous winless streak (31 races) was dominating the race by leading 132 of the 284 laps.  Tony’s crew made the decision to pit on the caution which ended up putting him in 13th position when the race was finally called.  Tony Stewart was extremely pissed after Sunday’s race and didn’t comment on his results. 

 I can guaranttee he was throwing some F-bombs on the radio after the race officials stopped the race.  It’s got to be tough knowing this was your race to dominate and you make a poor decision to pit hoping the rain would stay away.  I can only imagine what song his crew was chanting as he pulled back out with the rain on it’s way…. “rain rain go away, come back some other day…. rain rain go away, come back some other day.”

The rain CAMEEE… son of a B!%@*

So Kurt Busch ended up with the win… what did Kyle Busch end up with?  A SPIN!!!! Juan Pablo Montoya made his point this weekend that he was out here to race and he’s not going to let anyone push him around, even if it is the points leader. 

There are two sides to every story!

Kyle Busch’s side!

Kyle Busch explained in his post race interview he was racing Juan and beat him to the caution flag after the Clint Boyer/Sam Hornish Jr wreck when out of the blue he began spinning.  Busch claims he rubbed Montoya a couple times in the previous lap trying to race him to the caution but claims he only touched his corner panel.  He says Montoya must have thought he beat him to the caution and got frustrated and spun him out.

Juan Pablo Montoya’s side!

Juan Pablo Montoya says he was racing Kyle Busch who was not giving him the respect he deserved.  He says Kyle Busch came up on the high side where he was racing and pretended like he wasn’t there expecting him to back down.  Juan said it looked like Kyle was trying to wreck him because he was banging on Juan’s corner panel… Juan says OK! Here we go!  Next thing you know they were both spinning which resulted in the end of their day!  Juan does admit he spun him out intentionally!

My side!

I think both drivers were having a very boring day racing in the back of the pack.  They were bored with the way the race was going and decided to make the race more interesting for us (the fans) by playing bumper cars.  Kyle Busch was thinking… “I’m not used to racing back here in the back of the pack, is this what these losers feel like at every race?”  Juan Pablo Montoya was thinking… “Wow, I’m not used to racing next to “THE MAN” Kyle Busch, I better not let him push me around back here.”

Next thing you know, one thing led to another, they let their thoughts take over and Kyle Busch decided he better get some more face time on the camera.  Kyle Busch starts bumping Juan Pablo Montoya because he was the closest one… Montoya kept thinking I can’t let this mean driver bully me around.  Juan throws him into a spin which ends up taking himself out as well.

 Not the smartest racing I’ve ever seen but you can’t blame either of them.  Not every driver is perfect and who knows what they’re thinking when they’re in a situation they’re not used to.  haha.  I love racing!

What do you guys think?  Who’s side do you take on this situation?  Kyle’s, Juan’s, or mine?

 

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This weekend we’re heading down to Sonoma for an incredible road course with turn after turn after turn and I cannot wait.  This is going to be an awesome race to watch, and as much as I love to see these guys turn left, it’s going to be incredibly fascinating to see them turn right.  I mean… do these cars even turn right?  We’ll just have to wait and see. 

Wow… Did they seriously just take a right turn?

Sonoma is a track where road course racers are supposed to stand out and show the world what they’re all about.  Many times a team owner hires a road racer to come out here and show the world what they’ve got and in the end make a fool of themselves by getting owned by the true NASCAR racers themselves.  The statistics show (Nascar.com) only 1.5% of hired guns actually finish top 5 at the end of the day and usually get shown up by the true NASCAR (left turn only) racers. 

I love watching road courses and i’m glad NASCAR has a few on the schedule.  This course has a lot of history behind it and a lot of drivers really enjoy it.  Jeff Gordon is one of the guys to beat this weekend with having won 5 out of the last 10 starts here.  He hasn’t been dominating much this year but he’s been in the shadows and this could be the race that lights the fire underneath his panties. 

Another racer who has done well here is Juan Montoya.  This is his kind of course and he’ll be going out there trying to defend his title.  Juan won this race last year by basically driving by ever single car in the field.  He started in the 32nd position last year and is the first driver to win the race having started further back than 13th position.  I’m not a big Montoya fan but I think he’s going to be a driver to watch out for.  He obviously knows this course and knows how to pass… (Craig you better call your boy and tell him to step up his game because he’s going to make me look bad if he doesn’t)

Of course there is going to be a lot of hype behind other racers such as Tony Stewart, Boris Said, Terry Labonte, and many more due to the fact that they are great road racers.  But I think the guys that will need to shine and make a solid finish are those focused on making the top 12 for the chase at the end of the year…  Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers, Clint Boyer, Martin Truex Jr.

Of course an article on Ron Ripple wouldn’t be an article without mentioning Kyle Busch.  For once I have to say Kyle Busch is making a great decision and has decided not to race the Nationwide Series race this weekend in Milwaukee.  Sonoma is a tough course and takes a toll on these racers especially if they’re not in their prime come race day.  There are a couple racers who have decided to race both and those are David Reutimann, Clint Boyer, and Carl Edwards.  All are great racers and have a chance at Sonoma but I think racing both races is going to be a mistake. 

Who do you think will take home the trophy this weekend?  Is it me or are you excited about the road course as well?  Boy do I love NASCAR….

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This year has been an interesting year to say the least when it comes to the Sprint Cup Championship. Many drivers are focusing on making top 10 finishes in turn setting themselves up for the championship. I always talk about the respect I have for those who “go big or go home” and do anything for the win. That’s a rare breed that only a select have. A lot of fans are frustrated and feel that their favorite drivers are only going for the points and not the big W. I agree with some and disagree with others.

At times I personally get frustrated because one of my favorite driver is comfortable with a top 10 finish… when all I want them to do is get the victory and do a kick ass victory dance. God only knows what’s going on in their heads, I guess we’re not in the shoes of these racers and don’t know the game as well as they do. One thing is for sure! All drivers are looking to get in the top 12 so they can become the CHAMPION of the year… not just a champion for the night. I can’t blame them because they want to be known for the years to come as the “2008 Champion” and not the “second place finisher.” People can say what they want but the bottom line is, we don’t know WHAT goes on in their head when out on the track. My theory is that (some drivers) go for the win to a certain point and after knowing they don’t have a chance… they simply try to stay in the top 5 or 10. Take a look at the standings below..

On that note… who do you think will be in the championship race at the end of the year? There are a few names I notice that aren’t in the top 12 right now but have a good chance of getting in. Brian Vickers, Matt Kenseth, and Martin Truex Jr. are a few that have been moving up in the ranks and are actually racing their asses off so they can make the chase.

Matt Kenseth had a rough start this season and was a name I hardly even mentioned, but over the last 5 races, I’ve talked about him quite a bit. For the last five races he has finished top 7 in all of them and has been aggressively driving to try and secure his spot in the chase. I have a feeling he’s going to go out there and continue his top 10 streak and beat out some of these other drivers that are comfortable with a top 10 finish.

Brian Vickers is another racer who has been steadily creeping his ass up into the hunt to make the championship race. He’s another racer that has had a very sporadic season. If you were to place your bets on this kid this season you better not put too much money on him… it would be like trying to play darts in the dark. The kid is extremely talented but he’s been as consistent as the amount of beer I drink. (You just never know… one day I’ll drink a 12 pack and the next I’ll drink a case) I really do think he’s got a shot though! He’s finished top 5 over the last couple races and if he keeps it up he’ll be sneaking his way up there.

Still some big names out there that I’m shocked aren’t in the hunt for the chase this year. Not to name any names but Kurt Busch has really dropped off the face of the earth this year. Does he still race NASCAR? The only Busch name I ever hear get mentioned from Mr. Boogity Boogity is his brother Kyle.

Like I said before… it’s been an interesting year to say the least but I wanna know who you think will sneak into the chase and who will get knocked out of the chase.

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I’m Ron Ripple and Nascar’s biggest fan.

For some reason I couldn’t delete this post, so I’m using it as a reminder….  

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I’ve come up with a list of ideas on how we can make NASCAR more exciting. I love NASCAR and everything about NASCAR, but if I were the president of NASCAR, I would implement these 8 ideas.

#1. Bring back the COY - Car Of Yesterday. We need to get rid of the COT and bring back the COY. It allowed these drivers to actually race and battle it out. The COT is a tough car to drive and has leveled the playing field in a way that has made it harder to pass.

#2. Shorten the Course - If NASCAR shortened the course, it would make the races more exciting. Right now the races are extremely long… how many of you guys love to watch “the start” and then the last “50 laps?” I mean, I love NASCAR, but sometimes the middle of the race is pointless because the true racing doesn’t start till the end.

#3. Start Kyle Busch a lap down - Kyle Busch is absolutely the best driver out there today. I think we need to start his ass a lap down and make him work his way to the front. The only negative thing about this idea is what if he actually came back and won the race? His head wouldn’t be able to fit into his own car.

#4. Kyle Busch needs a bigger car - Just as I mentioned in idea #3… Kyle Busch’s head is getting way too big. I think we need to get him a bigger car so we can fit his big head in it. Maybe we can just get him a convertible so we don’t have to keep getting him new cars as the season goes on.

#5. The Driver’s need Intro songs - After watching the All-Star race this year I really enjoyed the introductions they did for each driver. If we had introduction songs for each driver, it would bring more excitement and craziness. I could see Kyle Busch walking to his car as they play “I Shot the Sherriff,” just after he spun Jr. out!

#6. Bikini Contest between the driver’s wives and girlfriends - One thing NASCAR lacks is sex appeal. If we had the Driver’s wives out there in bikinis at let’s say Taladega or the Coca-cola 600 strutting their stuff, I can guaranttee I may not be rooting for Tony Stewart. I may start liking Jeff Gordon. (Did I just say that?)

#7 Lap girls for each lap - Just like boxing and UFC fighting… for each round/Lap, we need to have a Lap girl letting everyone know what lap we’re on. Just as I mentioned in Idea #6, we need to bring some sex appeal to NASCAR and this is a sure way to bring it.

#8. Cage Match between Hendrick Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing - Three times a year they need to have a cage match between each of the Hendrick boys vs the Gibbs boys. Stewart vs Gordon, Busch vs. Earnhardt Jr., Hamlin vs Johnson. And it needs to be a real fight. No hard feelings… instead of “talking” smack, they need to throw some smack. Quit singing it and start bringing it…

This is just my opinion and if NASCAR wants to hire me please contact me through e-mail. I think I could bring a lot of FLARE to the sport. The only requirement I have is they give me my own Budweiser Keg at each race, and hopefully they don’t require a breathalizer for the president.

Would you elect me as the President of NASCAR?

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It was a rough and tough weekend for many top driver’s of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series as half of the top 12 in points were damaged in a monster wreck. I could go play by play on how the wreck took place but why not just check it out below? One thing I found disturbing is the comment made by my boy Tony Stewart…

As you can see, it was Elliot Saddler who unfortunately went low in turn two only to find himself slamming his rear bumper into David Gilliland. This was the beginning of the end for many top dogs including Dale Earnhardt Jr, Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Clint Boyer, Kasey Kahn and many others.Anyone think Tony Stewart was sincere in his blame taking interview? He states the wreck was his fault and I agree with the fact that he was part of the reason why many of the people behind him were involved. After seeing the interview for the second time, I hear the statement of “Any time I’m within a half a lap of Elliot Saddler, I expect that (wreck) to happen.” Not exactly sure what that means and if it was a jab at Elliot Saddler but the remainder of the interview he DID take the blame which is honorable.

Overall though, the race in my opinion was pretty damn boring especially at the end. The race was either dominated by Greg Biffle or of course Kyle Busch. There was only one big wreck which contributed to why the race was so boring… It took out a lot of the top dogs who would have been fighting for the win. I think I’m going to create a new rule that NASCAR should implement… If Kyle Busch makes it to the front with 50 or less laps remaining, they should just stop the race and give him the checkered flag. That way it will save me money for drinking less beer and also give me the chance to stop screaming at the t.v. for Tony Stewart not being up front.

I have a feeling this race would have been more exciting at the end if there was a caution. Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle were two strong cars and I think if they would have been closer to Kyle Busch at the end and with a restart, there would ahve been a lot more action.

A big congrats to Kyle Busch though on his 4th win for the season especially after being wrecked by his own team mate on Saturday’s Nationwide race. I also want to give Greg Biffle a hand shake and a pat on the back for his third place finish on Sunday. The man’s alternator went out and he was forced to turn off the air conditioner and the oxygen.

So did you all enjoy this race as much as I did? Do you want to body slam Kyle Busch or buy him a beer? Do you think Tony Stewart could do anything else besides hit Elliot Sadler straight on?

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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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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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