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

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’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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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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Alright… I made a little mistake on my last post and named off all these great names that “I said” were going to be racing down in Mexico City.  The truth is… hardly anybody will be racing down there in Mexico City and I’m curious as to why.  The big name road racers such as Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon both snubbed the Mexico City race this weekend.  The only big names that will be down there racing are Kyle Busch, David Reutimann, Carl Edwards, Clint Boyer and then Scott Pruett who is one of the best road racers that have ever existed. 

 There are g0ing to be a lot of local favorites from Mexico that will be racing, one of them being Adrian Fernandez who has had three top 10 finishes in the last three Nationwide races he’s raced in down there in Mexico City.  Adrian Fernandez is a local racer and very popular with the local Mexicans who will be hoping for a home town favorite to win the big race.  He not only has a competitive advantage by knowing the race course but he also has an advantage because it’s his birthday on Sunday and I know there are a lot of generous racers out there.  Haha… I highly doubt anyone’s going to help him out though!

 Another great racer who is making a guest appearance is Sam Hornish Jr. who was the winner of the 2006 Indy 500.  Sam doesn’t have much experience if any at all in a stock car but he defintiely knows road courses and is hands down a great driver.  I don’t think he has a chance at winning this race but I have a feeling he’ll end up somewhere in the top 15. 

 I personally think it’s going to be an exciting race to watch.  Road races are a lot of fun especially when you have someone to route for.   I’m going to be pulling for Kyle Busch or Carl Edwards because they’re regulars and I highly doubt any of these randoms are going to do anything extraordinary.  I wish everyone luck and will be drinking a beer on turn 3 of the race course. 

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We’re headed to Mexico City for another big track race.  My predictions this race are going to have to go with Kyle Busch and of course Tony Stewart.  Tony Stewart always does well on road courses and well… you can never count Kyle Busch out of anything. 

 I do have a feeling some of the Formula 1 guys are going to shine this race and actually be in the hunt for some big time points.  You’ve got Franchitti, Montoya, Nemecheck, and Andretti who will all be trying to show off their skills.  Montoya currently has the track record so he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.  They also have a better chance of speaking the native language which may give them an up when it comes to set up.

As usual I’m sticking with my good ol american boys who will hopefully show these europeans what real stock car racing is.  Mexico City is going to be one hell of a place to throw back some cervezas.  I’m not going to give into the tempting commercials which show Corona’s on a deserted beach… I’m going to stick to my drink of choice which is an ice cold budweiser.   So if you’re going to be at that race make sure you look for me on the in-feild. 

Weather conditions right now are partly sunny, 77 degrees, with a chance of championship victories.  Let me know what you think!!!!

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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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Who’s your pick to win the Martinsville race? I don’t know about you, but it feels like years since the last race even though it’s only been two weeks. I’m ready for a short course race and Martinsville couldn’t have come at a better time. Martinsville is home of the 1/2 mile oval track, 60 degree weather and 65,000+ fans. To me it sounds like a perfect time for a beer loaded tailgate pre-race party in the parking lot . I wish I could make it!

This weekend I’m going pick either Tony Stewart or Jimmie Johnson for the checkered flag. Both are very good on Short Courses and both need a win. Tony Stewart is duethis year and has been in the hunt for most of this year’s races. Recently he’s had more off the course publicity with his crazy tirades such as the sucker punch in Daytona, his personal opinion about Goodyear Tires, and his recent trimming of his mullet. Obviously I can’t talk smack about a mullet just look at mine, but his was getting a little shaggy.

My other pick for the weekend is Jimmie Johnson. You’d be crazy not to pick him as a top contender considering he’s won three straight Cup races at Martinsville. Jimmie Johnson is due for a win this year and it couldn’t have come at a better time since this is “his” track. I’d say Jimmie Johnson OWNS this track and needs to DEFEND his title. As you’ve read in my previous articles, the Hendrick camp needs a win and now is their chance. The pansy wine drinking Jeff Gordon, defending champion Jimmie Johnson, and AMP’d up Dale Earnhardt Jr are all great short track racers and all desperately need a win.

As usual I’m not going to count Kyle Busch out… He’s definitely one of my favorites this year. Since the season started he hands down been dominating all of NASCAR’s series. But let me know who your picks are. I’m curious to see who everyone’s favorites are.

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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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