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

2008 has been a wild season to say the least when it comes to winners and those who came up short.  There are a number of driver’s this year we never in our lifetime would have imagined went winless.  I know this article is pre-mature, but I’m feeling the need to write it anyway.

Jeff Gordon… WOWWWW!!!  Who would have thought the young wine drinker wouldn’t even have a chance to pop a bottle of champaign this year.  I mean… this guy hasn’t gone winless since August 4, 1971, the day he was born.  I think when he came out of his mother’s womb, he jumped on his big wheel and raced the 13 year old neighbor around the block. 

To many drivers Jeff Gordon’s year would be a dream come true.  He’s had 11 top five finishes, 16 top ten finishes, and is currently sitting in 7th place in the overall points for the season.  But because it’s Jeff “the wine drinker” Gordon, he’s got to be a little dissapointed.  As much as I make fun of the guy, I really do respect him… He only has four races left for the season and I would never count the guy out.

2008′s Bridesmaids in full gear!

Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, David Ragan, Brian Vickers, Martin Truex Jr, Jamie McMurray, and the list could go on for miles with the number of bridesmaids this season has created.  All these names are so HUGE in the NASCAR world and not a single one of them has a win for the season.  It’s almost as if this season was dominated by a few drivers and these guys just didn’t have that extra “umphhhh” (a new expression I made up) to get that WIN. 

 For those of you not able to make the race this coming week, make sure you call my boys over at DirectTV.  These guys have the best NASCAR viewing you could ask for on TV.  If you’re not at the race, at least pretend like you are… call 1-866-938-8469 and let them know Ron Ripple Sent you.  If you want to check out what they’ve got visit their website at DirectTV.  I just got off the phone with my boys over there and they told me that if you add NASCAR HotPass™ to your DIRECTV base package order, they’ll give you the rest of the season for just $29.99.  You can’t beat that… so hurry up and call 866-938-8469 because the Sale ends November 16th!

So who’s going to be the biggest Bridesmaid of the year?  Unfortunately I think the biggest Whiner I mean winner, might be the biggest Loser of them all, that being Kyle Busch.

Before the Chase, not a single driver could touch what Kyle Busch was breathing… He’d come from the back of the pack and drive around everyone as if he was the professor making his way up to the front of the class.  If he got a second place finish, he’d pout as if he didn’t deserve second.  The guy was on fire and nobody could touch him… but unfortunately the momentum changed and Kyle Busch’s wins soon became losses.

If you had to pick anyone to be the Bridesmaid of the Season so far, who would you pick and why?  Craig… we already know who you’re going to pick and I have a feeling it rhymes with Shontoya.  But I’d love to hear who came up short and why.

14 Comments »

Since Tony Stewart has officially signed up as Driver and Team Owner with Haas CNC, the new team is now looking for other drivers.   I mentioned before I heard rumors Ryan Newman was going to be realeased from Penske and was going to join his good friend Stewart on the new team.  Well it looks as if these rumors are becoming a reality.

We all know Ryan Newman has been released from the Penske team earlier last week, but he still has yet to say who he plans to race for next year.  In my opinion we all KNOW he’s going to be racing with Stewart-Haas Racing, but the only question is when he is going to make the announcement?

I personally think he’s going to make the announcement later on in the year… maybe Britsol or Dover.   I think he wants to stay focused on Penske and trying to finish the year by getting into the chase.  He currently sits in 16th place and has a lot of points to make up if he thinks he’s going to make it into the top 12. 

Ryan Newman is a great racer and has a lot of potential to be a superstar… he just needs to focus on finishing this year and doing the best he can.  A lot of drivers this year are worried about what’s going to happen next year and who’s going to be racing where, I just think they need to stay focused on this year and making sure their sponsors are happy.

Racers need sponsors in order to race, so they need to make sure their sponsors are happy so they can race another race. 

Will the new Stewart-Haas Racing have a third car? 

The rumor mill never stops churning… there are more rumors going around in the pits there may be another driver who will be racing for the new Stewart-Haas team.  Who is this new driver?  Are they going to make it a three car team?  Is Tony Stewart the new Joe Gibbs?

The rumors aren’t yet confirmed but it seems as though there are serious talks Martin Truex Jr will be leaving DEI to join the Stewart Haas Team. 

I think it would be great if Martin Truex Jr joined my boy Tony Stewart in his new venture.  We all know DEI is having a tough time trying to survive in today’s economy and the word on the street is Teresa is looking for investors to help back the team.  Well it looks like they’re starting to lose their drivers now and Martin Truex Jr is going to be making a decision on where he wants to race.

When DEI got busted for their hood not being legal, Martin Truex Jr threw a fit and was furious with the results.  It put a $100,000 damper on the teams wallet as well as hurt Truex in the points.  Martin Truex Jr is focused on winning and it seems as though every team wants him.

Martin Truex Jr has a tough decision to make especially if he decides to go with Tony Stewart.  I think Stewart Haas is eventually going to be a great team but I think it’s going to take a little time for them to gel.  It’s basically going to be a brand new team because Stewart plans on going in there and cutting jobs and piecing together crews.

I’m excited to see what happens with the team and I can only imagine it’s going to be first class.  Stewart is setting himself up to be a legend and it’s always good to start now before it gets to late.  He’s on top of the world and with his new venture it will only better his image and life in the NASCAR world.

Who do you think would be a dream team of drivers?  If you had the deepest pockets in the world and were to design your own dream team of racers who would you pick? 

I would pick Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and Kevin Harvick.  I think these guys would be an incredible dream team.

4 Comments »

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!

13 Comments »

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.

11 Comments »