NASCAR

[NancysSummerSip]

Aw, it's OK, Steff. I think he made even the Junior Nation haters sniffle a bit. I like to see someone who genuinely appreciates a win. And heck, Brad the Brat is in a bit of trouble now. So yanno, that makes up for everything.

[NancysSummerSip]

HEY STEFF!!!!!!!!

Didya see the race? Somebody finally gave Brad the Brat exactly what he deserved!

[steff]

Nov 2, 2014 19:45:16 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

HEY STEFF!!!!!!!!

Didya see the race? Somebody finally gave Brad the Brat exactly what he deserved!

That was AWESOME!   I love Harvick's push to get the ball rolling.  The uncensored version of what he told him as he shoved him was "don't be a , get in there and fight like a man.".     And then to have Gordon of all people call Brad a dipshit ON tv!  And where the hell did Kasey Kahn's crew come from?!?!?!  It was his crew guy that got all the shots in on Brad.  It was like some perfect alignment of the stars in Nascar fights.  4 teams, 3 drivers, a female reporter in the middle of it and everyone is just beating the hell outta the closest person.  Brad looked pretty beat up in the press room later on.  Because all 3 finished next to each other, the press room took forever.  Nascar made Brad wait while Kevin was in the press room.  Jeff had to wait for Brad to finish before he could go in.  Kevin was smirking like a cat that ate the canary. 

Next week could be even BETTER!   LMAO! 

At this point, I'm picking the quietest Chaser out of the bunch to win it in Homestead....Ryan Newman.  LOLOLOLOLOLOL 

[NancysSummerSip]

Nov 2, 2014 22:48:28 GMT -5 steff said:

Nov 2, 2014 19:45:16 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

HEY STEFF!!!!!!!!

Didya see the race? Somebody finally gave Brad the Brat exactly what he deserved!

That was AWESOME!   I love Harvick's push to get the ball rolling.  The uncensored version of what he told him as he shoved him was "don't be a , get in there and fight like a man.".     And then to have Gordon of all people call Brad a dipshit ON tv!  And where the hell did Kasey Kahn's crew come from?!?!?!  It was his crew guy that got all the shots in on Brad.  It was like some perfect alignment of the stars in Nascar fights.  4 teams, 3 drivers, a female reporter in the middle of it and everyone is just beating the hell outta the closest person.  Brad looked pretty beat up in the press room later on.  Because all 3 finished next to each other, the press room took forever.  Nascar made Brad wait while Kevin was in the press room.  Jeff had to wait for Brad to finish before he could go in.  Kevin was smirking like a cat that ate the canary. 

Next week could be even BETTER!   LMAO! 

At this point, I'm picking the quietest Chaser out of the bunch to win it in Homestead....Ryan Newman.  LOLOLOLOLOLOL 

I said the same thing about Newman, though Carl Edwards has good cause to win, too, seeing as he is going to a new team next year. I was worried about Gordon getting into that fight, given his bad back and all, so it was good to see he has some allies. And Kahne is a Hendrick driver, which probably accounts for his crew getting involved. He's out of the Chase, so any penalties against him and/or his crew would not affect the outcome, whereas they could affect Gordon.

[NancysSummerSip]

STEFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There really is a racing god after all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[steff]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Ryan Newman!  or Kevin Harvick!    Anyone but Doofus Denny the Whiner & Joey Burnt Toast Logano! 

I would be okay with either Ryan or Kevin winning it.  I may have to kill a stranger if Denny wins it.  Harvick is hubby's favorite, so he's all excited.  I ordered him a new Harvick tshirt & cap for Xmas today. 

[NancysSummerSip]

I would not mind seeing Newman win, even with that slide job he pulled on Kyle Larson last week; I think Larson was unhappy, but understood what was at stake.

For Harvick, a championship would be good for Stewart-Haas, and they need it, between the accident and now Kurt Busch's problems. I'm not a fan of his, but I think it would be something good for the team.

I don't think Denny's previous history in crunch situations bodes well for him. He just seems to attract mechanical problems at times like these. And Logano just plain loses it under pressure. He gets all hot and bothered and makes mistakes, and you just cannot do that and be a champion.

[steff]

I think Denny totally caves under the pressure too.  Remember when he attempted to play mind games with Jimmie?  Jimmie just laughed & Denny totally fell apart on the track after that. 

I agree about a Harvick win being good for SHR.  The company has been dealing with seriously problems ever since Tony broke his leg last year.  They've managed to hold it all together and still put out really good race cars.  Well at least really good cars for Kevin. 

During a presser at Homestead today, they had the 4 of them up there.  None of them greeted each other or shook hands or even acknowledged one another.  Kevin turned up the mind games with asking Joey if Brad was gonna be a rolling roadblock like Joey was at Dega.  He asked Denny about cracking under pressure.  He left Newman alone because they're good friends, but did make a crack about him not winning a race.  But he reallllly picked at Joey.  Everyone took that as he thinks Joey is his only real competition. 

the only thing I think Denny has going for him (and it's really a stretch) is Darian Grubb has already been told he won't be Denny's crew chief next year.  The last time Darian was let go like this was when he was Tony's crew chief...the year Tony won his last championship.  So Darian is a really good lame duck championship crew chief.  (I said it was a stretch)  lol


I'm actually torn on the Kurt thing.  He's known for his temper & he's pushed around more than one reporter on camera.  But there's something about her story that just doesn't sound right to me.  He was threatening to commit suicide in his bus on the infield at Dover? so she rushed to him?  the whole lawyer contacting lawyer for a $$ settlement before it became public?  I could see her thinking she deserved some $ for revamping his image.  The whole wounded warrior connection he has been pushing is her.  It's her job in DC.  I can see her planning to use her connections to make him look better.  And at the same time, she's in the middle of a nasty custody suit with her ex because the kid spent so much time with Kurt.  So doing something to make Kurt look worse also wouldn't make much sense. 

so I'm really not sure which side of the fence to fall on yet.  Part of me kinda wants to think he had pulled it together, but then again....he's a Busch.  Asshole supreme. 

[NancysSummerSip]

Nov 12, 2014 22:01:35 GMT -5 steff said:

I think Denny totally caves under the pressure too.  Remember when he attempted to play mind games with Jimmie?  Jimmie just laughed & Denny totally fell apart on the track after that. 

I agree about a Harvick win being good for SHR.  The company has been dealing with seriously problems ever since Tony broke his leg last year.  They've managed to hold it all together and still put out really good race cars.  Well at least really good cars for Kevin. 

During a presser at Homestead today, they had the 4 of them up there.  None of them greeted each other or shook hands or even acknowledged one another.  Kevin turned up the mind games with asking Joey if Brad was gonna be a rolling roadblock like Joey was at Dega.  He asked Denny about cracking under pressure.  He left Newman alone because they're good friends, but did make a crack about him not winning a race.  But he reallllly picked at Joey.  Everyone took that as he thinks Joey is his only real competition. 

the only thing I think Denny has going for him (and it's really a stretch) is Darian Grubb has already been told he won't be Denny's crew chief next year.  The last time Darian was let go like this was when he was Tony's crew chief...the year Tony won his last championship.  So Darian is a really good lame duck championship crew chief.  (I said it was a stretch)  lol


I'm actually torn on the Kurt thing.  He's known for his temper & he's pushed around more than one reporter on camera.  But there's something about her story that just doesn't sound right to me.  He was threatening to commit suicide in his bus on the infield at Dover? so she rushed to him?  the whole lawyer contacting lawyer for a $$ settlement before it became public?  I could see her thinking she deserved some $ for revamping his image.  The whole wounded warrior connection he has been pushing is her.  It's her job in DC.  I can see her planning to use her connections to make him look better.  And at the same time, she's in the middle of a nasty custody suit with her ex because the kid spent so much time with Kurt.  So doing something to make Kurt look worse also wouldn't make much sense. 

so I'm really not sure which side of the fence to fall on yet.  Part of me kinda wants to think he had pulled it together, but then again....he's a Busch.  Asshole supreme. 

I saw the press conference. Man, can you spell totally awkward? They all looked like little kids caught writing graffiti on the school walls or something. Very out of place. I expected them to be a bit more talkative and professional, but maybe they are all just tired at this point, thanks to the media blitz and the cross - country travel.

I totally agree with you on the Kurt Busch thing. Could be her crying wolf, seeing her chances for publicity and fame and fortune (both for her cause and for herself) go down the tubes.
And why risk fighting with her ex or with Kurt? She's somewhat in the public eye, so anything that makes her look bad will not go down well with the courts.  And the whole let's-settle-for-money thing is suspicious, too.
Plus the time lapse bothers me. This supposedly happened in early September, and it's just now coming out? (I wonder if the money settlement got rejected and now she's pissed).
Also, note that she did not say anything about pressing charges, just that she wanted him to be evaluated and screened. Basically, she wanted him labeled as an abuser, without being charged as one. I always have issues with this, unfair as it may sound. You get the police involved, but not willing to take it to the level of possible charges? And you claim you are injured? I always get fried for saying this by people who claim I don't understand the plight of domestic violence victims. I do understand, but I've always been the first one to admit that my understanding is from the third party, criminal justice side of things.
I feel sorriest for her little boy. He seemed very close to Busch, always dressing up as his mini-me. He will be hurt the most in all of this.

[steff]

Now she has drug a CONGRESSWOMAN into it!

www.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2014-11-14/kurt-busch-domestic-assault-allegation-attorney-rips-congresswoman-jackie-speier-letter-suspension

She got a Congresswoman to write a letter demanding Kurt be suspended.  Yeah, now I'm REALLY starting to question her motives.  Looks like now she's trying to destroy his career & frighten his sponsors. 

[NancysSummerSip]

Nov 14, 2014 20:40:21 GMT -5 steff said:

Now she has drug a CONGRESSWOMAN into it!

www.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2014-11-14/kurt-busch-domestic-assault-allegation-attorney-rips-congresswoman-jackie-speier-letter-suspension

She got a Congresswoman to write a letter demanding Kurt be suspended.  Yeah, now I'm REALLY starting to question her motives.  Looks like now she's trying to destroy his career & frighten his sponsors. 

Totally agree. And I am against any suspension, much as I dislike Busch, unless there is an arrest. Right now, there is no proof, and no indictment. It does indeed sound like either a knee-jerk reaction, because of the NFL domestic violence incidents, or Driscoll is a woman severely scorned and looking for any way to gain revenge. And since her work involves being at the federal level, it probably isn't surprising that she could corner a congresswoman to get involved. And after all, it looks good for the congresswoman too, if you think about it.

[NancysSummerSip]

OK Steff. Thirty minutes until the hype is over and this thing finally gets going.

My prediction: Harvick wins it. Unless he has some kind of massive mechanical failure, I don't see him losing it.

One other sort-of related thing: there was a special on TV last night about the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona in January. The story was about the Platte collection going up for auction, and Kurt Busch and his ex, Patricia Driscoll, were both interviewed on the show. Platte is donating a vehicle for auction to raise money for Driscoll's organization. I have no idea when the special was filmed, but you can tell something was wrong between the two of them at that point. Busch totally has a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. He just looks like he is giving the interview under duress.

[steff]

WooooHooooo!  congrats to Harvick!   Delana made me get all teary eyed watching her stress thru the last few laps.  Good job for Tony too.   There's gonna be some Buds downed tonight.  LOL

[NancysSummerSip]

Nov 16, 2014 18:52:38 GMT -5 steff said:

WooooHooooo!  congrats to Harvick!   Delana made me get all teary eyed watching her stress thru the last few laps.  Good job for Tony too.   There's gonna be some Buds downed tonight.  LOL

Totally knew it would be his to lose, and Newman certainly gave it a shot.
Hamlin managed to whine his way out of a decent finish.
And Logano...sheesh, of all the times to hit the wall and drop the car.

Good to see Tony get to the championship presentation. He seemed happy but a little subdued, understandably, but obviously wanted Kevin to have the glory and not take any of the spotlight from him. I hope that Tony goes to Vegas for the big party. He might decide it's not a good idea, but I hope he goes. The team certainly earned it.

[steff]

I thought when Tony was hugging Kevin it really looked like Tony was crying.  Even if he wasn't, I cried for him. lol  damn hormones! I really hope Tony enjoys the celebration & this bright spot in a couple of very hard years. 

Kevin really did earn it too.  He's had a great season & didn't just luck into it.  He's ran hard & won when he needed to.  Keelan was just too damn cute trying to wipe the confetti off the car. 

[NancysSummerSip]

Nov 16, 2014 19:46:07 GMT -5 steff said:

I thought when Tony was hugging Kevin it really looked like Tony was crying.  Even if he wasn't, I cried for him. lol  damn hormones! I really hope Tony enjoys the celebration & this bright spot in a couple of very hard years. 

Kevin really did earn it too.  He's had a great season & didn't just luck into it.  He's ran hard & won when he needed to.  Keelan was just too damn cute trying to wipe the confetti off the car. 

I'm pretty sure you are right about Tony's emotional reaction; it may be why he did not want to be interviewed, and mostly stayed away from the cameras and media. He's not the kind of person who shows his emotions easily, it seems. I got teary-eyed for him, too. And I was amazed that Keelan was even awake, never mind getting Dad's car cleaned up and ready for the display!
I hope Tony takes what little time there is between now and Daytona to just reset and get some rest. And just maybe thinks about getting back to dirt racing, even if it means going out to his own track, alone, in his car. He doesn't have to, but I think he needs to. And I think dirt racing needs their "dude" racer back. After all, when guys work on their cars after a long week at their real jobs, they don't look at prettied up and camera ready, like a Jimmie Johnson or a Carl Edwards. They look like Tony Stewart. They look like real, regular guys with messy garages and secondhand trailers who just dream of winning at the local track, never mind making it big.

[steff]

this is just too frigging cute for words....

[NancysSummerSip]

Nov 17, 2014 14:46:44 GMT -5 steff said:

this is just too frigging cute for words....

Oh. My. Gawd. Completely, totally, utterly adorable! Seriously, even if you don't like Harvick, or kids in general, this is poster-for-the-wall material!

[steff]

Heck, I'd make it the Christmas card or something.  I just about died when I saw it.  Keelan has that smile for the camera down pat!

[NancysSummerSip]

Nov 17, 2014 16:57:21 GMT -5 steff said:

Heck, I'd make it the Christmas card or something.  I just about died when I saw it.  Keelan has that smile for the camera down pat!

And inside the card:

"We got exactly what we wanted this year. Hope you do the same!"

[steff]

voting pays off!  Dale Jr wins his 12th consecutive Most Popular Driver award. 

and Keelan Harvick steals the show again

www.facebook.com/OfficialKevinHarvick/photos/a.365162296830733.106347.361634700516826/960614100618880/?type=1&theater

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

YaY - for both Dale Jr, and Harvick!

I've always been a fan of the Earnhardts - both Sr & Jr.

[steff]

Oh good grief, Keelan is the cutie that just keeps getting cuter.  They may want golf over racing for him, but he's already got his victory lane celebration down pat. 

(scroll down toward the end of the link for the short video)

motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/06/nascar-one-day-after-sprint-cup-awards-kevin-harvicks-son-keelan-is-still-celebrating-video/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs

[NancysSummerSip]

Keelan is the hottest thing to appear in a tux since George Clooney at his wedding.

As for Dale Jr., all he needs is to ask his sweetie to get married. Good heavens, the man is forty! The world needs a Dale III.

[NancysSummerSip]

Steff, it's almost time...have you seen the freaking ticket prices for Daytona? DH is going to the ARCA race; I thought the ticket prices he was looking at were for the big weekend. 

[wvugurl26]

My friend got a call from Atlanta asking if we wanted to buy tickets for the March race. We only went to the Labor Day weekend thing because we were already in Atlanta.

[NancysSummerSip]

The success of last year's Chase format almost guarantees higher ticket prices this year at most tracks. I almost choked when I saw the Daytona ARCA race tickets were almost $100, and that's a minor support race!

[wvugurl26]

I think we paid right around $100ish for our Atlanta tickets. If we were going to a 2015 race we have a whole list of them besides Atlanta.

[wvugurl26]

So Kurt Busch is claiming his ex girlfriend is a trained assassin. Lol.

[NancysSummerSip]

Jan 14, 2015 9:50:25 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

So Kurt Busch is claiming his ex girlfriend is a trained assassin. Lol.

I think it's the ex-girlfriend who made the claim first. From an ESPN story:

espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/12161197/kurt-busch-ex-girlfriend-patricia-driscoll-was-revenge-richard-andrew-sniffen-says

...Busch said Driscoll repeatedly asserted her assassin status and claimed the work took her on missions across Central and South America and Africa.

He recounted one time when the couple was in El Paso, Texas. He said Driscoll left in camouflage gear only to return later wearing a trench coat over an evening gown covered with blood.

A day earlier, Busch said his ex-girlfriend told him she was a mercenary who killed people for a living and had shown him pictures of bodies with gunshot wounds.

Busch said Tuesday that Driscoll had claimed that a female character in "Zero Dark Thirty," a film depicting the CIA's hunt for Osama bin Laden, was a composite of her and other women.

Last month, Michael Doncheff, who served as a personal assistant to Busch and Driscoll, said an ailing Driscoll told him in September that she had been picked up by a big man and slammed to the ground while helping round up immigrants at the Mexican border, a story Doncheff considered "far-fetched."

Doncheff said Driscoll also asserted that she was a trained assassin for the U.S. government and once told him, "I take down foreign governments. I own Washington."

During the hearing, which stretched over four days, neither Driscoll nor her attorney refuted the testimony.

Given her background, which includes a lot of involvement with several wounded warriors' charities and military service charities, I'm inclined to think she's the crazy here. According to her Wikipedia entry, she has co-authored two books, produced a documentary and is involved in three companies, all military-related. I'm not saying that's bad, and that Kurt's a totally sane person, but I wonder if she didn't go off the rails somewhere.