The Second NASCAR Day of Christmas: Two Fighting Jeffs

Sometimes the cosmic force behind NASCAR gives fans a gift that is so unexpectedly wonderful, it lives in the annals of racing lore for years.

And the fight between Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton at Texas Motor Speedway is one of those gifts.

An unlikely pair of enemies, these two were applauded by fans for having the guts to "have at it" face to face (and not face to camera as other drivers often do).

There went Gordon, stomping down the track after his smashup with Burton, like a man on a mission.  And he didn't waste time.  Upon reaching the object of his anger, there was a leap, a shove, and what looked like an attempted hair pulling.

The moment made for darn good TV, a colorful highlights reel, and precious fodder for bloggers and pundits alike.

Here's hoping that the "have at it boys" mandate gives fans even more such moments in 2011.

A NASCAR Christmas List

Now that "Team Earntarte" is a reality, Junior fans  have reason
to call Christmas merry.

Logs are crackling in the fireplace.  Lights are flickering on the tree. And marshmallows are melting their gooey goodness into my hot chocolate.

It's the perfect night for writing a Christmas list.

Or better still, the perfect night for contemplating what gifts our favorite drivers and their fans might want - or need - for the holidays.

If I were Santa, here's what I'd bring the below NASCAR peeps in my big bag of presents come Christmas Eve:

Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton - If you're gonna "have at it boys", at least make it look somewhat threatening.  The Jeffs'  little dustup during the Chase was good TV - but I doubt it struck fear into the hearts of other drivers.  That's why I'm suggesting jolly ol' St. Nicholas bring the pair a little formal instruction in the art of hand-to-hand combat.

Jimmie Johnson - You might think that Johnson has all he'll ever need - a beautiful wife, a darling baby girl, five Sprint Cup championships and the smartest crew chief around. But that's where you're wrong.  This season it became clear that ol' Johnson is standing in the need of hair - or less of it.  Somebody give the man a haircut.  The scraggly look does not suit.

Junior Nation - When Rick Hendrick announced the formation of team "Earntarte" in November, Christmas came a little early for Junior Nation - and also for Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Request granted.

Kyle Busch - I know Rowdy has taken a lot of heat for his one-finger salute on national television, but what's a little more ribbing among fans? He claimed after being parked a lap that NASCAR was hampering his constitutional rights by denying him the right to express himself.  Turns out, he's correct. According to the U.S. Court system, "flipping the bird" is legally protected by the U.S. Constitution ... but NASCAR is a country unto itself and sometimes everyday laws just don't apply.  So in that case, perhaps Santa will leave the book "Beyond Anger" in Busch's stocking.

Brian Vickers - It'll be a gift to NASCAR fans to see Vickers back behind the wheel come the Daytona 500. Here's hoping Santa grants him a spot in next year's Chase to cement Vickers' long-awaited return.

Darrell Waltrip - When Waltrip failed to make the second class of inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, his disappointment was palpable. Even those who weren't big fans of DW felt a little sorry for him. For Waltrip's sake, I hope Santa brings him the votes he needs to make the Hall of Fame's third class - nobody would be more appreciative of the honor.

For Knaus - Heavy Lies the Head That Wears the Crown

Denny Hamlin smells blood in the water.  Your pit crew's performance is costing you positions. Your driver is panicked.  And there are only two races left.

What would you do?

Would you chuck your team on the chins and tell them "we'll get 'em next time"?  Would you tell your driver to shut up and wheel the car?  Or would you take a game-changing risk that could make you a hero if your instincts are right - or a zero if you're wrong.

Leaders opt for the latter.

Sure, Chad Knaus' mid-race move at Texas won't make him the new fan favorite, but that's nothing new.  Leaders aren't always popular, even among those they lead.  But leaders do make the tough call when it counts - which is what Knaus did at Texas.

When your guy is on the ropes and your opponent is using him for a punching bag, you've got to regroup, re-strategize and come out swinging. If not, you'll be down for the count and the victory will go to your opponent.

And what does popularity count for then?

So during the next few weeks, Knaus will take a lot of heat for the pit crew swap - especially if his plan fails.

But if his instincts are true (and they have been for the past four years) he'll have steered Hendrick Motorsports to their fifth consecutive championship.

And himself into the history books.  Again.

Hot Damn! Texas Turns Into NASCAR Fight Club

After today's race at Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR shouldn't have any trouble selling tickets.

The Lone Star State had it all - an upset in the points, an irate driver giving NASCAR the "one-finger salute" (on camera, mind you) and a pit crew swap mid-race.

But the moment that lit up Twitter like the big bright stars at night and caused many a race fan to yelp out a "Yee Haw", was "The Fight" between Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton.

After getting taken out by Burton under caution, Gordon got out of his No. 24 Chevrolet and stomped down the track to meet Burton head on.  

Cue the Old West shootout music.

Channeling his inner cowboy, Gordon didn't bother to stand upon ceremony or march off 10 paces. Instead, he made a little leap in the air and shoved Burton with both hands. He then tried to grab Burton by the head and throw a few punches before NASCAR officials separated the two.

The moment was spontaneous, authentic and dramatic - just what fans have been craving and NASCAR has been needing.

All I can say is, the NFL has got nothin' on this.

A Cure for the After-Dega Blues

The day after Talladega is kinda like the day after Christmas. There's so much buildup to the big event - it's a slow letdown when the party is finally over.

On the day after Dega, you wake up still on an adrenaline high from the sights, the sounds and the excitement. You  keep turning on your camera just to scroll through your race photos again and again.  You relive and retell the weekend's highlights with your buddies or any poor soul who will listen.

Then you gradually come back to reality as you pack for the journey home, return to work, or stand in an interminable airport security line.

Alas, it's too bad every day can't be Dega.

Personally, I can't quite come to terms with the real world just yet.  So I'm sharing some of my favorite photos from this weekend in the hopes they'll help alleviate those after-Dega blues ...

Jeff Burton and the No. 31 crew
await their turn to qualify.



Kevin Harvick laughing it up on pit road.



Jimmie Johnson chats with the boys from ESPN.

I'm still not used to seeing Kasey Kahne in
a Red Bull Racing uniform.

The "Lucky Dog" gets a place of honor
on David Reutimann's No. 00

Best off-track activity at Dega?
Playing "Costume or Not a Costume" -
sometimes it's hard to tell ...

American Idol alumnus Josh Gracin sang a
fantastic National Anthem.

There's always a camera crew following
Kyle Busch and fiancee Samantha Sarcinella

The fans are loving Tony Stewart - this was taken right after
he gave his Coca-Cola to a little girl who was decked out in No. 14 gear.

If fan adoration equaled good luck at Dega, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would
have led every lap and won by a mile.

Scott Speed and company head down pit
road before qualifying.

The answer is "subtle".  The question is
"What is one thing Talladega fans are not?"

SB Nation reporter Jeff Gluck interviews
Clint Bowyer before qualifying.

That Repave Keeps Rollin' Along

NASCAR driver Jeff Burton tries his hand at driving a Caterpillar grader
at Daytona International Speedway today.

I missed Jeff Burton's appearance at Daytona International Speedway by three days - but he and I can both testify that the repave is rolling along just fine.

I visited the track Sunday and saw the first layer of pavement being laid down firsthand.  Pit road has also been torn up and will be several feet wider by the Daytona 500. 

The first layer of pavement goes down on the high banks Sunday.

While I got to glimpse how the construction equipment actually stays on track's high banks without sliding to the apron (connected via strong cables and a truck on the outside of the wall), Burton was there to drive a Caterpillar grader and bury a time capsule with track president Joie Chitwood.

Some of the items placed in the time capsule were:

· Tickets from 2010 Daytona International Speedway events including the 52nd annual Daytona 500 and the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola, the final race on the old asphalt

· Die-cast cars including Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet that won the Subway Jalapeno 250 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Nationwide Series race and Burton’s No. 31 Caterpillar car

· Newspapers from the Daytona Beach News-Journal including their special Daytona Repave section

· Business card of Lane Construction’s John Rauer, the project manager on the Daytona Repave

· Sprint Blackberry phone

· Press releases, brochures and photos

“It’s really cool to be here,” said Burton, who added he would like to come back to Daytona someday to dig up the time capsule. “The history of this race track and the France family actually building this track with their own hands and (now) seeing it reconstructed, it’s pretty cool."

"This track is going to make racing incredible. What you’re going to see is three wide and two wide all the time. "


The target completion date for the repave is Jan 1, 2011.

The Haters Are Right - Johnson Gets More TV Exposure Than Any Other Driver

Well, it's official - Jimmie Johnson haters now have one more reason to dislike the four-time champ.

According to research conducted by Joyce Julius & Associates, Inc. — which has monitored every NASCAR race telecast over the last 25 years — Johnson gets more on-air coverage than any other Sprint Cup driver.

Johnson’s name was mentioned more than 2,800 times during the first 18 live event telecasts (and replays) of the 2010 season.

Johnson also appeared in a series-high 32 interviews segments, which collectively added up to more than a half-hour of television face time for the driver.

Not surprisingly, the abundance of attention paid to Johnson by the TV networks helped him amass nearly 22 hours of combined on-screen time for the 58 monitored brands associated with him. Johnson’s brands were also mentioned by him, his crew, or the TV announcers on 95 occasions, helping to bring about an overall in-broadcast exposure value of $48 million.

How did the rest of the drivers fare?  You might be surprised.  When interviews, on-air mentions and general exposure time are all added up, here are the top 10 drivers:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Jeff Burton
4. Juan Pablo Montoya
5. Kyle Busch
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Denny Hamlin
8. Tony Stewart
9. Kurt Busch
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Anyone else surprised that Carl Edwards and Mark Martin didn't make the cut?

Photo info: Johnson signs autographs for fans before the Bud Shootout in February at Daytona International Speedway.

NASCAR Drivers Campaign for Fan Votes

It's an election year again - a time when campaign ads are broadcast more often than reruns of "Law & Order".

And this week, even your favorite NASCAR drivers are getting in on the beg-for-votes action.

It's all part of the Coke Zero Fan 400, a race-within-a-race that allows fans to help their favorite Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers win by “liking” them on CokeZero.com. As drivers accumulate “votes” online they move up in the race standings.  Fans who vote for the winning driver will earn a chance to receive a free 20-ounce Coke Zero to celebrate the win. In addition, Coke Zero will donate $10,000 to the NASCAR Foundation on behalf of the winner of the online race.

Each member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family competing in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona on Saturday also will participate in the Fan 400. Fans can begin voting for their favorite drivers on CokeZero.com today. Voting ends following the finish of the Coke Zero 400.

Check out Jeff Burton's campaign ad below. Some guys will promise anything for a vote ...

Team Owner Shoutouts

Chip Ganassi got a lot of press this weekend - and deservedly so.  With Dario Franchitti's domination of the Indy 500 and Jamie McMurray's victory at the Daytona 500 in February, Ganassi is now the first team owner in history to win both of these events in the same year.

(Insert round of applause here).

With McMurray back at EGR and Juan Pablo "Mad-toya" wheeling the No. 42 car, it looks like 2010 is going to be a better year than expected for the NASCAR side of team Ganassi.

But Ganassi isn't the only surprise in the NASCAR garage. There are a couple more team owners who deserve props for the first third of the season.  Sure, they haven't made history yet - but then again, the year ain't over.

Take Michael Waltrip.  Mikey's best career move may turn out to be giving Martin Truex, Jr. a full-time ride.  Truex definitely seems to click with the guys at MWR and he has the points to prove it. After Charlotte, Truex is only 14 points outside the top twelve. And he might well be the sleeper of the season.  The New Jersey native drove his way into the All-Star race and finished second only to winner Kurt Busch.  And let's not forget Truex also snagged the pole at Dover. 

MWR's David Reutimann isn't doing too badly either.  Reutimann has managed to secure top five finishes in the last two points races (which is more than current champ Jimmie Johnson can boast).

Another owner that deserves props is Richard Childress.  Toward the end of 2009, it was apparent to anyone paying attention that the RCR cars were making vast improvements. If the season had been a few races longer, we might even have seen an RCR win. 

That's why it wasn't all that surprising that Childress and company hit the track running in 2010.  Kevin Harvick is leading the points and has an early season win courtesy of Dega. Jeff Burton is in the top 12. And Clint Bowyer is a mere four points out.  It looks like Childress is back - and they mean business.

Rick Hendrick and company better watch out ...

Photo info: Kevin Harvick and team owner Richard Childress talk in the garage.

Deja Vu All Over Again for Kurt and Kyle Busch

For the second race in a row, Kurt Busch held off all comers to snag the checkered flag.

And, for the second race in a row, his Victory Lane celebration was upstaged by little brother Kyle.

While Busch the senior doused his jubilant crew with Miller Lite, Busch the younger received a dressing down by an irate Jeff Burton. Burton was hot under the firesuit after a move by Busch on the final restart cut one of Burton's tires.

The moment made for darn good TV. And FOX cut away from the winning team's celebration to show \an image of Kyle Busch standing by his car on pit road while Burton gave Kyle a colorfully worded earful -and a few finger jabs to boot. For a minute, when Busch responded to Burton's comments with a laugh, it looked like Burton might just take a swing at the object of his wrath.

But lately, such TV moments have been all in a day's work for Kyle B.

Last week it was Denny Hamlin and the come-to-Jesus meeting with Joe Gibbs in the hauler. This week brought a public scolding by one of the sport's senior statesman.

What's next - mud wrestling with Miss Sprint Cup?

Regardless, I bet Kurt sometimes wishes he was an only child. Because nobody likes to be upstaged.

Especially by a sibling.

Richmond in the Rear View

If the spring race at Talladega was Christmas morning for race fans, then Saturday's contest at Richmond was Thanksgiving at the in-laws - nice enough and somewhat satisfying, but not as good as Mama makes it.

In what is usually an exciting showdown with fender-bangin' and last-minute slidin', Saturday night's race at RIR didn't quite live up to the hype (or the Dega comparison).

Still, for all the opportunities to catch some shuteye during the broadcast, there were a few developments of note at Richmond this weekend:

Kyle Busch - the Official Restart King - It was only a matter of time before Rowdy ended up in Victory Lane again.  And how fitting that KB's first checkers of the season would be the result of beating Jeff Gordon on a late-race restart.  Gotta hand it to Rowdy, if he's near the front, he gets it done.

MWR outruns HMS - The boys at Michael Waltrip Racing haven't had too much to smile about in 2010. But Richmond may have turned those frowns upside down - both Martin Truex, Jr. and Marcos Ambrose earned Top 10 finishes, while David Reutimann eked out a p15.  Compare that to the Hendrick Motorsports crew who finished 2nd, 10th, 25th and 32nd. Proof of the apocalypse?

Has JJ found his kryptonite? - Ever since the return of the spoiler, Jimmie Johnson hasn't had the most stellar of finishes. Richmond was tough on the No. 48 team. After a miserable night in the pits, Johnson barely saved the car as it slid across the finish line into10th place.  If the spoiler isn't to blame, maybe his tiff with Gordon is.  Ol' Jeff's earlier rantings just might be messing with four-time's head.

Jeff Gordon makes nice - Speaking of Jeff, After Rick Hendrick reportedly put the smackdown on the brewing feud between teammates Gordon and Johnson, all was nicey-nice at Richmond. The pair never got together on the track and Gordon's attitude post-race was all rainbows and sunshine.  We'll see how long it takes for the drivers to go at it again.  Darlington, anyone?

RCR lookin' good - At the end of last year, Richard Childress Racing was making a comeback. They just didn't have enough races left to prove it.  Now that the 2010 season is well underway, it's clear that something is clicking over at RCR.  Harvick has already snagged one victory this season and Jeff Burton hasn't been running too badly either. Also consider they finished third and fourth (respectively) at Richmond. And now that Harvick is the points leader - I'm thinking Happy just might smash "four-time's" plans to make it five.

A Little Dega Eye Candy

For those of you who weren't present at Sunday's Talladega race, my sincere condolences.  It was NASCAR Nirvana.

Unpredictable. Exciting. Dramatic. You name it, this Dega race had it. And after such a fantastic day of racing, it's hard to get back to workaday reality.

Here are a few of the sights I captured before the race.  Enjoy the photos and take my advice - order your ticket for the Fall Talladega race as soon as you can.  No self-respecting NASCAR fan should miss this.

Tony Stewart's Old Spice Chevy - I didn't get close enough to sniff him, but I wonder if Smoke actually wears this stuff?  My granddad used to ...

In the words of Martina McBride, "This One's for the Girls". NASCAR hunk Carl Edwards takes a moment in the garage to talk to broadcasters and sign a few autographs.

Talladega is a heartless mistress.  And no driver has suffered her scorn more severely than Ryan Newman. I wonder if he'll take the advice screen-printed on his shirt when he returns to Dega this autumn?

Roll Tide! University of Alabama Athletic Director Mal Moore served as the Grand Marshall Sunday. He's Bama diety, but even he seemed impressed with the boys of NASCAR. I heard him ask one of the photographers if he could get copies of his photos after the race.

The inside of Dale Jr's National Guard No. 88 Chevrolet, as it sits on the starting grid.

A.J. Allmendinger, David Reutimann and Jeff Burton chat it up before driver introductions.

Brad Keselowski may have exited the Cup race with an oxygen mask strapped to his face, but he rebounded in grand style to win the Nationwide race later that day.  Not too shabby.

Future teammates talking about 2011? Or two buddies catching up pre-race? Only Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and Rick Hendrick know for sure ...

My favorite Talladega snapshot - is Kyle Busch giving big brother Kurt some driving lessons?

Talladega's favorite son, Dale Earnhardt Jr.  And rest assured you Junior fangirls, that hand with the wedding ring isn't Junior's. It belongs to Kurt Busch.

Jeff Gordon's Dupont Chevy on the starting grid. Such a promising start.  Such a disappointing finish.

Greg Biffle wins the day for the driver who signed the most autographs. Say what you will about The Biff, he knows how to treat the fans.

A Few Fontana Notes

So the Spring Fontana race is in the history books. And other than Kevin Harvick's charge at the end and some mild concern about rain shortening the event, the whole thing was a bit of a snooze fest.

But even though I might have dozed off during portions of the broadcast, I did pay attention well enough to observe a few things. So here are my Fontana notes. Now on to Vegas!

In the category of "It's Probably Too Early to Say This, But I Will Anyway" - what in the heck happened to Scott Speed during the off season? The Red Bull racer was darn impressive at Daytona and he ran great in Cali as well. Looks like he's going to have a much better year than 2009.

Luckiest Dude on the Planet - When the world is your oyster, every single race can turn into a pearl. And every event at Fontana swung Jimmie Johnson's way (must be that golden horseshoe). Of course, he still had to outdrive a hard-charging Kevin Harvick at the finish. However, Harvick tapped the wall and JJ cruised on to a win. Must be nice to be so darn lucky.

Speaking of Harvick - Richard Childress Racing is back. After a lackluster 2009, Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer are showing well and racing up front. Both Harvick and Burton had the race all but won at different times. And it's great to see these teams this competitive so early in the season. Harvick and Burton will be in victory lane before too long - they just need some of Jimmie's good fortune to rub off on them.

Empty stands - Even though the broadcasters on FOX didn't mention it, the pictures tell the tale. Does anyone in California like NASCAR enough to actually buy a race ticket? I know things are tough all over, but come on! All of those empty sections on the front stretch were borderline embarrassing and each empty seat flies in the face of that old cinematic adage "If you build it, they will come." Maybe NASCAR should rethink Fontana's two-race deal.

Darrell Waltrip, Climatologist - Waltrip's theory regarding how race cars keep the rain away is so off-the-wall, there could actually be something to it. He said he believes that when cars go round and round the track at high speeds, they create some sort of "vortex" that actually wards off inclimate weather. Waltrip's hypothesis just might be believable if both Daytona AND Fontana hadn't been rained out last year.

Hmmm...

Daytona From the Cheap Seats

Leading up to the Daytona 500, fans heard lots of hype about reduced ticket prices. In an effort to ensure a sellout crowd, the Daytona International Speedway promoted the dickens out of their $55 superstretch tickets - the cheapest seats at the track.

A sucker for a good deal, I decided to snap up a couple of these cheap seats, just to see how the bargain basement experience compares to say, a much pricier spot on the finish line.

So Sunday morning, I headed to the Speedway at the crack of dawn armed with my cheap ticket, a warm jacket, and a list of budget-friendly things to do. I was determined to see how much bang I could get for my 55 bucks.

I paid nothing extra for the below activities. And I'm pleased to report that my experiment proves that if you plan ahead and have some patience, you can have a fantastic race experience without putting your engagement ring in hock.


Autographs at the Speed Stage - I hit the Speed TV stage early, well before the show's scheduled broadcast time of 9 a.m., and my early arrival paid off. The Speed staff hands out Home Depot hard hats and beads before the show. And before it went live, hosts Kenny Wallace and Kyle Petty walked down to the fans and signed autographs. Driver Paul Menard even stopped by. I hung around for the first live segment of the show and it was pretty entertaining - besides, where else could you see Wallace shake it like this?

Coca-Cola Track Walk - I had the best of intentions, but I didn't get to the Speedway early enough to register for the free Coca-Cola Track Walk. However, hundreds of other race fans did make it in time - and they were rewarded for their efforts. They got to see Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Dale Jarrett kick it all off by waving the green flag.

Jeff Gluck Tweetup - This may have been my favorite free activity of all. Current SB Nation blogger and bona fide Twitter celebrity @jeff_gluck is the originator of the race day tweetup - and the Daytona edition was the biggest yet. We met in front of the Daytona 500 Experience and were joined by Nationwide driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., David Newton from ESPN.com, folks from Watkins Glen International Speedway and a host of other online personalities, media members and Tweeps. As a special bonus, Gluck handed out free swag. What's not to love?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - I hightailed it from the Tweetup hoping to make it to the Turn 4 Chevy stage in time to see Jeff Burton talk to the crowd. Unfortunately, I missed Burton - but I did snag a pretty good vantage point from which to watch Dale Jr. talk to fans. The event was a Q&A session with a rep from Chevy - and it was lots of fun. Junior talked everything from racing strategy to what's on his iPod (country music) and he also revealed his plans for Whisky River (the Jacksonville location opens in April, and he'd like to open another location in Nashville).

Walking, Walking and Walking - The only people who get anywhere fast at Daytona International Speedway are the drivers on the track. It's wall-to-wall people and you've got to accept the fact that it's going to take a while to get where you want to go. While hiking from the Chevy Stage to the Turn 2 Grandstand, I was pretty glad I had missed Coca-Cola Track Walk registration - but the hike was a great way to warm up on a pretty chilly day.

Great view - I had never before watched a race from the backstretch, and I was thrilled with how well I could actually see the cars racing by. Since the superstretch is flat, you're treated to a terrific view of the cars coming off of Turn 1 driving into Turn 2 and racing down the straightaway. It's also a great place to be if you like watching wrecks firsthand. We saw our share.

Free advice - About midway through the first Potholegate, the more innovative fans in my vicinity began spouting off how they thought NASCAR should fix the "imperfection" on the track. Among the ideas I overheard? Georgia clay and sand. Quikrete. "Real" asphalt. Barricade tape and traffic cones. And this more laissez faire solution - "Just let 'em drive through it and let the chips fall where they may." Looks to me like NASCAR ended up using a combination of toothpaste and whiteout.

Behind the Scenes of Coke's Newest NASCAR Commercial

Race fans will see a whole new side of their favorite drivers as some of the sport’s biggest stars show off their singing abilities in Coca-Cola’s latest television commercial set to debut during the DAYTONA 500 (Sunday, Feb. 14, 1 p.m. on FOX).

The new spot, entitled “Harmony,” offers a NASCAR® twist on one of the most popular commercials ever – Coca-Cola’s iconic “Hilltop,” which first aired in 1971 – as several drivers belt out the famous song, “I’d Like To Buy The World A Coke” while battling one another on the racetrack. In the ad, Coca-Cola Racing Family members Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Bobby Labonte, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, David Ragan, Elliott Sadler and Tony Stewart show how even the most competitive rivals can Open Happiness with Coca-Cola.

Merry Christmas from NASCAR's "Straight No Chasers"

Last year, the men's a capella group "Straight No Chaser" caused quite a stir with their inventive version of the song "Twelve Days of Christmas."

Inspired by the group, a few of the drivers who didn't make the Sprint Cup Chase in 2009 (Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer) put together their own little song of Christmas cheer. So sit back and enjoy NASCAR's own "Straight No Chasers" - and Happy Festivus everybody!

Wanna Star in the Next Coca-Cola Commercial?

Coca-Cola is known for some of the world’s most iconic advertising and is turning to Facebook to find the stars of its next big commercial. The Company is taking an unconventional approach to casting the new high-profile spot, offering racing fans and people from around the world the opportunity to audition by submitting short videos through an application available only on Facebook through October 15.

The new commercial, called “Sounds of Coca-Cola,” will feature real people demonstrating their own renditions of the distinct sounds that occur every time they enjoy a Coca-Cola. Drivers Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Bobby Labonte, Elliott Sadler, Michael Waltrip, David Ragan and Kyle Petty appear in the video to show off their sounds of Coca-Cola and encourage fans to participate.

Check out the video!

The Chase Is On!

The wait is over and the Chase is on. And one look at the names of the 2009 contenders and you'll see it's rife with potential storylines. Read on for this fan's take on who's in, who's out and more:

Montoya Makes the Cut: As the first international driver to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Juan Pablo Montoya deserves some props. His solid run has also been a godsend for Earnhardt-Ganassi racing which sure did need this bright spot in what has been an otherwise dim season.

A Worst First for Matt K: In case you missed the first few hundered times race pundits mentioned it, this is the first Chase Matt the Brat will miss. Not cool buddy, not cool.

The Stewart-Haas Coup: When the season starts with your teammate smacking into you during Daytona 500 practice, it would be easy to get a little down about your 2009 prospects. But Stewart-Haas has come a long way baby since that sunny day in February. In Smoke's debut year as an owner-driver, both of his cars have made it into the Chase. Yes, Stewart's partnership with Hendrick Motorsports has paid dividends. But I think good ol' Tony might have just a little something to do with his teams' magical season.

Vick Under Pressure: Like Montoya, Brian Vickers has never been here before-at least at the Cup level. Let's not forget, Vick won a Busch Series Championship in 2003 for Hendrick Motorsports. And judging by the way he raced last night, it looks like BV can handle the pressure.

Richard Childress Racing: In 2008, the folks at RCR could boast that all three of their Cup teams made it into the Chase. What a difference a year makes. Take a look at the 2009 Chasers and you'll find nary a Childress driver on the list. Neither Harvick, nor Bowyer, nor Burton, nor Mears. I'm sure I'm not the only race fan wondering what happened...I'm just hoping it doesn't happen again in 2010.

Bring On the Kid!: I'll say it before and I'll say it again, Mark "The Kid" Martin has the opportunity to make a lifelong dream come true and score his first Sprint Cup Championship for Hendrick Motorsports. He's sittin' pretty right now. And if he can hang on to his lead and keep his eyes on the prize, there will be legions of armchair crew chiefs who might shed a few happy tears come Homestead.

Where's Rowdy?: Kyle Busch. He's the villain. The bad boy. The driver fans love to hat. The phenom. Whatever you call him and whatever your personal feelings for the younger Busch bro, something ain't right when the co-winningest driver in 2009 is absent from the Chase. It sure won't be as interesting without him.

Say What? Driver Quotes From Pocono

With Friday's on-track activity rained out at Pocono, the drivers had ample time to chat it up with the press. Here's a few of the more interesting "behind the hauler" sound bites that came out of the day's washout.

How does Jimmie Johnson bide his time during a rain delay? “Days like today are really actually relaxing. At home there’s a lot going on. At the track, I usually catch up on emails and phone calls and catch up with friends and stuff like that. I’ll just sit around and hopefully not eat too much.” Hey Jimmie, if you get too bored, I could always use a pool boy. Love that Jimmie.

Ryan Newman on which turn he sets up for at the Tricky Triangle: “You make the car as good as you can and then as a driver you manipulate it the way you need to so if you’ve got to run the bottom of three or the top of one or the way you enter turn two that’s what you do as a driver. That’s why they put the steering wheel in there." Hear Hear! More drivers need to quit yappin' about setups and manhandle the dang car.

Rain delay an advantage for Mark Martin: "I view it as the less time on the track the better. I feel like for our team, for us we usually hit the track running and the longer we run the more the competition has a chance to catch up." Sounds like the old man's got it all under control. Maybe I should pick Martin to win Sunday's race ...

Jeff Burton surprised that the restart rule changed so quickly: “I’m shocked that we are doing this this year. I have become very used to the shipliner analogy about how it is hard to turn a ship real quick." Is there a fan who ISN'T thrilled about the new restart rule? Here's to more shootout-style racing.

Kasey Kahne gives a glowing review of this week's tire test at Indy: "The tire drove as good as any tire that we’ve had there with this car. It actually probably drove the best that we’ve had with this car. They (tires) didn’t blister. They didn’t cord. They looked really good. I was real pleased." I hope he's right. Another Indy race like last year and Tony Stewart won't be the only one on a tirade.

Jeff Gordon stops just short of calling Kyle Busch an instigator: "It's hard to create your own rivalry. I think Kyle is a little bit involved in that. He’d like there to be one. I don’t think Junior is really as involved with that as Kyle is. That’s cool, if it materializes on the race track. To me, rivals really are the guys who are battling on the race track that have sort of unique fanbase to themselves. And that is definitely true among Junior and Kyle because I’m pretty sure Kyle’s fans aren’t the same as Junior’s fans. " You can say that again.

NASCAR in Hollywood -- A Trend That Could Be Lucrative

Now that Jeff Burton is appearing in soap operas and Michael Waltrip is trying his hand at situation comedy, why not go all out? The stars of NASCAR could begin a lucrative new entertainment trend by following suit. Besides, the drivers are already old hands at delivering lines on camera. Why not parlay that experience into some off-season fun for the masses? It would make the diehards happy and it just might bring new fans into the sport.

With that in mind, here are my picks for what NASCAR personalities should star in which shows. Feel free to offer your own suggestions:

Tony Stewart on "Celebrity Apprentice": Much like The Donald, Stewart has an intimidating personality, obvious business acumen, and he doesn't suffer fools. And now that Stewart is the proud owner of a Cup team, he could be a very smart casting call for the next installment of Trump's hit "reality" show. Imagine what drama would ensue should a tire blow during Tony's trip to the board room.

Carl Edwards on "Survivor": The guy is super-fit, downright charming and clearly competitive. He'd be a shoe-in to win all the physical challenges, and socially savvy enough to make advantageous alliances when necessary. Besides, who wouldn't want to see him run shirtless down some exotic beach?

Kurt and Kyle Busch on "The Amazing Race": They're brothers. They're rivals. And between them, they've got enough attitude to make for some darn good television. With only each other to lean on, they're the perfect pair to engage in a dramatic race around the world.

Jimmie Johnson on "Dancing With the Stars": I can see him now ... all dressed up in a tux and tails doing an elegant foxtrot with a bedazzled partner. Johnson's got the looks, self-possession and style to be a serious contender for that glittering disco ball trophy. Besides, if Jimmie is too busy, Darrell Waltrip could always sub with a ballroom version of the "Ickey Shuffle".

Dale Earnhardt Jr. on "The Office": Although casting him for "The Bachelor" seems the more obvious choice, that might be too much of an invasion of privacy for ol' Junebug. But I've heard that "The Office" is one of Junior's favorite shows. Perhaps he could play the new Dunder Mifflin temp and Michael Scott's whipping boy for an episode or two.