NASCAR's Biggest Fan – Girl of the Week | Ron Ripple

 

Rebecca Richardssss…. ow owww!  I first laid eyes on Ms. Richards a couple years ago at The Atlanta Motor Speedway.  This young lady was cheering for Kasey Kahne as if he was her boyfriend.  I kept looking over there and every single time Kasey Kahne went by she was on her feet cheering.  So of course me being the gentleman that I am… when I saw the guy she was with walk away, I walked up to her and told her I was Kasey Kahne’s Crew Cheif.  Obviously she didn’t believe me and it could have been because I was wearing a Tony Stewart shirt and drinking a beer, but I ended up hanging out with her and her boyfriend the rest of the race.  She’s an incredible girl… so make sure you go say hi to her on her website! Name:  Rebecca RichardsAge:  23School or Occupation:  I am a full time student at American InterContinental University seeking a bachelor’s degree in Visual Communications. Aside from school I work full time for the city. Very Busy!Hometown: A small town in South Georgia called ThomasvilleFavorite NASCAR racer: Kasey Khane!!! I have been a fan of Kasey since his rookie year! I picked him out at the race in Atlanta. He was second behind Jr. majority of that race and I kept telling the guy I was there with (who is a big Jr. fan) that Kasey was going to beat Jr. Unfortunately he didn’t that particular race, but he has been my favorite ever since.What’s your favorite track? Atlanta Motor Speedway! It is actually the only one I have had the privilege of watching a race at but it is in my home state!

What’s your favorite part about NASCAR? There is absolutely nothing in this world better than being at the track and smelling the tires burning, having the wind blow your hair, and feeling the noise vibrate the whole stand as the cars wisp by lap after lap! It literally gives me chills!

What’s the fastest you’ve ever been in a car? haha not NASCAR fast but about 100 mph and that was probably on the interstate of all places!

What are your hobbies? My most time consuming hobby is modeling! Other than that I enjoy watching NASCAR on Sundays and watching my boyfriend ride motocross. I also enjoy fishing, fresh and salt water. I love spending a day at the beach and when there is time left over I like to just hang out!

Favorite Drink: Budlight in the bottle! (Ron: My kind of girl!)

What is the worst pick up line a guy has ever used on you? Your dad must be in jail…why… Cause he stole stars and put them in your eyes! The funny thing is the guy that said this to me; I ended up dating him for 2 years!

What do you look for in a guy? First and foremost, I am completely attracted to guys with blue eyes! Next I want someone with a good personality that can make me laugh and cut up and have a good time! I also like a guy with a sort of hard side to them… I think I like the chase! Finally, I am really attracted to guys with nice backs!!!

What is a turn off? A turn off is a guy that cant handle what he starts or cant keep the promises that he makes!

Are you a fan of my mullet? There is no one else in the world that looks as sexy in a mullet as Ron Ripple!

Are you single? No, I’m not single! I am happily in a relationship of two and a half years.

Website where fans can find you?  I would love for everyone to stop by myspace and check out more photos of me and please leave me a comment!

           

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Well these past couple races I have not been picking winners… so since I don’t feel the need to be rewarded, I’ve decided I need to reward my readers and give them the chance to win a Free $25 Gas Card.

Here are the rules and here’s how to enter.  It’s simple… On this post alone, comment who you think will win the next race and also subscribe to the website which is located at the top right of each page.  All you have to do is push that little “comment” button, type your name and e-mail address in the required fields, tell me who you think will win the race, and then hope you’re right.  If I get multiple people picking the winner, I will simply put the names in a hat and pick the winner. 

Who am I going to pick?  Well I think I might go with the obvious and pick the man with Lowe’s on the side of his car.  Jimmie Johnson always seems to do well at this track and has been obviously running well in the Chase.  It’s been three years since he’s won at the track but he’s been owning everyone late in the season, so I’ve got a good feeling he’s going to continue the run.

The Black Horse I think everyone needs to watch out for this race is Kasey Kahne.  Kasey Kahne didn’t make the Chase and he’s actually been pretty inconsistant through out the year, but he’s one you definitely don’t want to count out.  I don’t know what it is about Kasey Kahne and the Lowe’s Motor Speedway, but he’s won three out of the last five races that were hosted at the track.  He’s got the track’s number…  

So the contest is complimentary of Amoco Ultimate so make sure you Click Here to visit this site and sign up for the contest.  This is a place to upload awesome photos of your ride and check out all of the other entries in the contest. While you’re there you can also check out racing and performance car videos, read performance automotive content from the number one rated automotive blog* , check out all of the people who have won so far, read some proof about why Amoco Ultimate grade gasoline is the best for your ride and enter to win a trip to the 24 hours at LeMans!

So make sure you comment back on this blog located at www.RonRipple.com and make sure you subscribe to my website.   We’ll be giving away Gas Cards through out the rest of the season so keep checking back.
 

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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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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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 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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I was kinda bored today and was browsing around trying to find something interesting about the NASCAR world and finally came across something other than “Hendrick, the NASCAR team to beat.”  Obviously gambling is illegal unless you’re in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or in an Indian Gaming Casino etc. (Had to say that)… but the Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas has something new for you to bet on.  Miller Lite vs Bud!  Yeah that’s right!  They’re letting their customers bet on either Kurt Busch who is in the #2 Miller Lite car or Kasey Kahne who is in the #9 Budweiser car.  You’ll not only be able to bet on each race, but you’ll also be able to bet on the final standings at the end of the 2008 year.  Kurt Busch’s Miller Lite car has been given an 8.5 position favorite over Kasey Kahne’s Budweiser car this year.

There are a lot of factors though to look at especially this year.  Kurt Busch finished 9 positions better than the old Budweiser car previously driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr and 12 positions better than the new Budweiser driver Kasey Kahne.  Also Kasey Kahne has a whole new team and a whole new sponsor that could either be a benefit or a hinder.  I think it’s tough to call but they’re still giving Kurt Busch an 8.5 favorite which I think is plenty.  In my opinion I would put my money on the overall to go to Kurt Busch.  But if I were betting on each individual race I’d have to see how they qualified and who’s been better on that track in their previous years.Let’s do something fun!  I’m going to come up with a contest similar to this and give you guys a chance to win maybe a case of energy drinks or something cool.  Check back with me over the week and I’ll have something posted.

But to any of you who plan on betting on the new line in Vegas let me know how you do.  Who would you bet on for the Daytona 500?  I’d have to go with Kasey Kahne only because he was incredible in Testing leading up to the 500.

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