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

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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Do you love NASCAR as much as me?  Well chat it up with me on my website daily and tell me your opinions.  Have comments or questions about what’s going on in the NASCAR world? 

 I just added a new feature to the website that allows you to chat with me throughout the day. (If I’m online)  This past weekend I was on my website during the Dover race and realized some of you guys were on here as well.  I figured, how cool would it be if I was on here chatting with my fellow Ron Ripplers at the same time?

 So I just added the new feature… it’s located to the right hand side of the website.  All you need to do is click on the text box and chat away.  I look forward to chatting it up with my fellow NASCAR fans.

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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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NASCAR handed down some stiff penalties to the Haas CNC team for altering the location of the upper mounting points on the rear wing of the No. 66 and No. 70 car this past Saturday.  Supposedly the NASCAR officials got a tip from a garage “rat” claiming the team had done some modifications to their car that would better the aerodynamics.  NASCAR immediately impounded both cars this past Saturday and took them to their secret research and development center located in Concord, NC.  Once the infractions were confirmed by “the secret” research and development center, the Haas CNC team was then hit HARD with the penalties.

1. No. 66 driver Scott Riggs penalized 150 Championship points
2. No. 66 Crew Chief Bootie Barker fined $100,000 and suspended for 6 races
3. No. 66 Car Chief Derrick Jennings also suspended for 6 races
4. No. 70 Driver Johnny Sauter penalized 150 Championship points
5. No. 70 Crew Chief Dave Skog fined $100,000 and suspended for 6 races
6. No. 70 Car Chief Thomas Harris also suspended for 6 races
7. No. 66 and No. 77 team owners Joe Custer and Margaret Haas each lost 150 owner point

Let’s just say the teams took a beating for doing a very stupid thing.  Neither one of the cars were in the top 20 for the year and after watching the Coca-Cola 600 this past weekend, they still finished 26th and 35th in their back up cars.  Both teams were sitting mid to back of the pack with the modifications, so you have to wonder who made the decision in the garage to make the change?  Whomever that person was… they need to put a blind fold on and let everyone take a swing at him.  The team owners (if they weren’t involved) need to think about their program and make some changes.  Last time Haas CNC made the headlines was when rumors were going around about Tony Stewart and the possibility of him joining the team as an owner/driver after his contract comes up. 

I always say that it’s better to have “bad press” than no press at all.  But I don’t think this kind of bad press is doing anything for these guys.  It’s only costing them money and making them look like a bunch of cheaters.  I know teams always try and push the limit on modifying the cars and making changes that will benefit them, but when you cross the line, it officially becomes illegal.   If I were Margaret Haas, I’d make these crew chiefs come over to my house and weed my front lawn… and I can guaranttee Margaret Haas has a large front yard. 

 What do you guys think about the penalties?  You think maybe the crew chiefs had no clue they were breaking the rules or do you think they knew what they were doing and trying to get a competitive advantage over the rest of the feild?

 On a side note: There were some small penalties handed out to three members of the #88 Nationwide Series team for getting into a brawl on Saturday after the #20 car intentionally gave the #88 car a love tap during one of the cautions on Saturday night’s race. 

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I’m starting to think IndyCar racing is officially the next “stepping stone” to NASCAR.  The latest rumors on the streets are Danica Patrick and now Helio Castroneves are thinking about making the move to NASCAR.  It’s Obvious that NASCAR is the most popular, most televised, and most watched car racing series of all times, and it looks like the big names of IndyCar are starting to realize this.

 If you haven’t noticed, a number of IndyCar racers have already made the move to NASCAR…  Sam Hornish Jr. and Dario Franchitti are two IndyCar champions who have joined the NASCAR world, and it seems as though they aren’t going anywhere.  

Wow… Danica Patrick Danica Patrick, one of IndyCar’s most famous drivers, just attended the Sprint Cup race in Phoenix this year and there were rumors going around she was thinking about making the move.  It seems as though her contract isn’t going to be coming up until 2009, which means there is a good possibility she could be the next “FACE” of NASCAR.  In my opinion I would welcome her with open arms…  NASCAR is going to be a forever growing sport, and as long as there are a number of different personalities and characters for fans to grab hold of, the sport will continue to grow. 
Helio CastronevesHelio Castroneves is another IndyCar star that may also make the move over to NASCAR.  If you think about it… it wouldn’t be a hard move for him since he already races for Team Penske which is owned by Roger Penske who already has a three car NASCAR team.   Helio Castroneves is another personality that would come into the NASCAR world and bring more attention to the sport.  If it were up to me, I would welcome all these drivers in with open arms.  I can’t say I would be a big fan of Helio, but I think it’s only going to continue to build our sport and make it a domination.

NASCAR is a sport that will be around forever and is only going to continue to grow.  Big names like Helio Castroneves and Danica Patrick will only help the sport and continue to make it “THE” auto racing sport of the world.  I personally won’t be a supportive fan of these two if they decide to start racing NASCAR but I do think it will bring in different crowds.  Danica will bring in the females and Helio will bring in the South American support which will make it a more world wide sport. 

The good thing is… if these two decide to start racing NASCAR, I am guaranteed not to see any of them out at the bars.  Danica would probably be at a fancy club drinking Martinis or Cosmopolitans, and Helio would probably be at a Ballroom dancing with Jeff Gordon.

What are your thoughts?  Are you for or against IndyCar racers trying to join the group? 

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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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Tony Stewart who you all know is one of my favorite drivers, is the topic of discussion throughout the NASCAR community.  The rumor on the street is that he’s been getting multiple offers from a number of different race teams even though his contract doesn’t come up with Joe Gibbs Racing until the end of the 2009 season.  Tony Stewart said that he is going to be completely honest and up front with Joe Gibbs and has already admitted to keeping his ears open.  The biggest story that has been going around the pits is he’s decided already to sign with Haas CNC racing which is a second class racing team. 

J.D. Gibbs says they aren’t worried about the possible offers and has denied the claims.  They think Tony Stewart will make the right decision and stay with a team he will win with, and they’re confident they are THAT team.  One thing they have mentioned is if Tony decides he doesn’t plan on staying with the Gibbs team, he better at least fulfill his contract and stay till the end of the 2009 year.

Tony Stewart on the other hand has other interests… his goal is to not only be a driver but also a team owner.  He wants to guarantee a life long career in the racing world, and the next peice to the puzzle is to own a team.  So rumors on the street are he’s already signed with Haas CRC racing, but not only as a driver but also part owner in the team. 

To me it sounds like Tony Stewart has made his decision… I think he’s going to fulfill his contract because he’s a stand up guy and Joe Gibbs has been an incredible team owner for him.  I personally think he should keep racing for Joe Gibbs… but I understand why he wants to secure his life long career in the NASCAR world.  If it aint broke than don’t fix it… he will be racing for a second class team.  And second class teams are second class teams with second class equipment.  He’s not going to find a more professional, more prepared team than Joe Gibbs and right now Joe Gibbs is THE TEAM to beat. 

Another reason why I think Tony made the swith is because I think he’s a Chevy guy.   Tony switched to the Toyota this year when the Gibbs team decided it was going to be the car they all ran this year.  His Nationwide Series team is currently still running the Chevy and I think he’s always been a Chevy guy and feels comfortable in a Chevy.  Tony Stewart and Toyota go together like beer and popsicles.  They just dont! 

It’s going to be a sad day when he makes the switch… but who knows… maybe he’ll turn a second class team into a first class team.  I hope this isn’t the last we see of Tony and I hope he doesn’t become a has been who lost his aggressive, opinionated, drama filled always a contender to be reckoned with attitude.  10 years and racing for the same owner with over 34 wins is a great accomplishment, let’s just hope he keeps us all on the edge of our seats.

 What do you think… is he going to continue racing for Joe Gibbs?  Is he going to fulfill his contract or will he pull out early?

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These are the type of events that I get excited for.  NASCAR is going to introduce a new competition on May 17th where five allstars attempt to do two doughnuts and then enter into Victory lane.  The fastest time gets $10,000 and is the official BURNOUT KING.  NASCAR in itself is a very exciting sport but when you ad little things like this… it just makes my ears tingle.  Stuff like this will only make NASCAR victories more fun to watch because you know it’s going to be a show at the end. 

The funniest part about this whole new addition is when they asked Clint Boyer to test out the idea in front of the staff and media, let’s just say he didn’t do it flawlessly.  They let Boyer demonstrate the burnouts with a Richard Petty Driving Experience car and after the first two successful burnouts he then attempted to drive the car back into pit row and he kissed the wall.  Haha… Clint Boyer kissed the wall driving the borrowed car back into pit row.

 Here’s Clint’s response, “It was Practice man.  That’s what you’re here for – to see what to do and what not to do”

Let’s just hope this was a lesson on “what not to do.”

After I heard about this new competition I wanted to see how tough it would be to complete two doughnuts and then slide it into my driveway.  I ended up doing about a dougnut and a half before I almost flipped my car… then I decided it may not be such a good idea trying to slide it into my driveway.  I never claimed to be the sharpest tool in the shed but I’m obviously not the dullest tool in the shed either.  Here’s a picture of my attempt… and YES my neighbors think i’m crazy. 

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