Five Things to Look Forward to in 2011

Kasey Kahne dons the Red Bull Racing firesuit
at the Fall Talladega race.

Good news: NASCAR fans are on the tail end of the off-season slump.

Pre-season thunder is a mere week away.  And the Daytona 500? Just one month to go.

We're on the verge of a NASCAR  tabula rasa. There are second chances for drivers who need redemption. And endless possibilities for the new kids on track who have something to prove.

There's no telling just what will play out this season, but there are five things I can't wait to see:

Team Earntarte: By all accounts, December testing at Daytona went well for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and new crew chief Steve Letarte.  Letarte has already brought some much-needed positive vibes to his new team - and Junior Nation is feeling it. Letarte could well be the golden ticket that gets Junior back to Victory Lane.

The Boys at Red Bull:  Brian Vickers will be back behind the wheel at Daytona and fans couldn't be happier.  Though it's a hackneyed cliche, Vickers has a new lease on life after his medical leave of absence.  And, to make things even more interesting, he'll be working with new Red Bull teammate Kasey Kahne.  Look for them both to exceed expectations this year.

Edwards vs. Keselowski Part Deux: Edwards ended 2010 with a whole lotta momentum.  And, if he keeps it up, he could be a serious threat to Jimmie Johnson's title dynasty.  And now that neither Carl Edwards nor Brad Keselowski can battle it out for the Nationwide Series crown, look for these rivals to settle their unfinished business on the Cup side.

Chaser McMurray: Although it doesn't affect my life  in any way whatsoever, I'm still dismayed that Jamie McMurray didn't make the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup after sweeping the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 and Charlotte's Bank of America 500.  In the words of my cousin (also named Jamie), "That ain't right."  Given Jamie Mac's stellar year, I have no doubt he'll be in the top 12 post Homestead.

Waltrip Getting the Nod: In 2010, Darrell Waltrip was left out of the NASCAR Hall of Fame class for the second year in a row.  But I seriously doubt he'll get the cold shoulder again.  Waltrip rejoice - you'll get your moment in 2011.

Top Bristol Moments Happened Off Track

After the beatin' and bangin' on the Nationwide side Friday night, fans were hyped up for a wreckfest during the Cup race Saturday night.

But alas, the Irwin Tools Night Race was more run than bump.  And even though Kyle Busch did manage to pull off the Bristol sweep, the race itself wasn't quite the fender-banging, helmet-throwing spectacle that fans have come to expect.

There were several long green flag runs for one. And even when Juan Pablo Montoya sent reigning champ Jimmie Johnson out of contention with an ill-timed hit, Johnson was quick to say post-race that he knew it wasn't intentional on Montoya's part.

And you call this Bristol?

In fact, the most memorable moments happened off the track - and here they are:

5. National Anthem - Bristol does the anthem right. And when the driver/crew kids sang The Star Spangled Banner during Sunday's pre-race ceremonies, even Tony Stewart cracked a smile. From the little boy on the front row who held his ears to the T-shirts wishing Bristol track president Jeff Byrd a speedy recovery, the anthem was a feel-good high point (and thankfully, the polar opposite of last week's drunken rendition).

4. Edwards' Musical Intro - the beloved Bristol tradition of allowing drivers to pick their own "theme song" before they are introduced didn't fail to disappoint.  And Carl Edwards wins the prize for most apropros song selection with "Why Can't We Be Friends?" by War - a pointed (and amusing) reference to his long-running feud with Brad Keselowski.

3. Vickers' Revelation - A few hours before the green flag waved at Bristol, Red Bull Racing driver Brian Vickers told the media that he underwent open heart surgery July 12 to repair a small hole in his heart. Vickers, who has been out of the No. 83 Toyota since being diagnosed with blood clots in May, also revealed that he had a stent placed in a vein in his left leg the day after heart surgery. 

"I had heart surgery, and I never thought I would never have that at 26," Vickers said.

Vickers told reporters his doctors have cleared him to race in 2011 and he plans to race at next year's Daytona 500.  Although he didn't have any comment about what this means for teammate's Scott Speed's prospects next year, the result seems pretty clear. With Kasey Kahne joining Red Bull Racing and Vickers returning, Speed may well be out of a NASCAR ride.

2. Brooms in Victory Lane - Whether or not you're one of his "loving fans," you can't deny that Kyle Busch accomplished an impressive feat this weekend. With his Cup victory, Busch became the first driver to win all three national series in one week. And that prompted his crew to break out the brooms in Victory Lane and do their own version of the "Bristol Sweep". 

1. Keselowski Gets Personal - The crowd went crazy when Keselowski took the mic after being introduced pre-race and said simply, "Brad Keselowski, driver of the Penske Racing Dodge. Kyle Busch is an ass."  Although the offending word was bleeped out on the ABC broadcast, Keselowski did ask a clergyman's permission before referring to his fellow driver in such terms.

It turns out, Keselowski had an on-track chance to repay Busch for a hit that cost him the Nationwide win Friday night.  But Keselowski (who is currently on probation for a dustup with Edwards) settled for racing Busch hard as Busch was trying to lap him, rather than bumping him into the fence.  And Busch cruised to the win.

Things They Are A-Changin'

Will this guy be at Red Bull Racing
next year?

The hottest topics in NASCAR today?

Babies, Red Bull and Chi-town.

First, driver Jeff Gordon and wife Ingrid Vandebosch  welcomed their new addition into the world this morning. Leo Benjamin Gordon was born at 8:53 a.m and weighed in at seven pounds, two ounces.

Per the driver's web site, "He's happy and healthy, and Mom is doing great."

Second, ESPN's David Newton wrote today that Red Bull Racing is close to announcing that current Richard Petty Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne will join their team in 2011. 

The announcement would end months of speculation that began after Hendrick Motorsports announced Kahne will take Mark Martin's ride in 2012. 

What Kahne's interim move will mean for Red Bull driver Scott Speed isn't clear.  And there's also no news yet as to whether Red Bull driver Brian Vickers, who is out for the season due to health issues, will return next year. 

Stay tuned.

Rumors are also flying that Red Bull may be leaving Toyota (or vice versa).  If so (and Kahne does join the team), Chevrolet could well be the make of choice.

Finally, NASCAR announced today that Chicagoland Speedway will host the first Sprint Cup chase race in 2011.  Jenna Fryer with the Associated Press reports that Chicago will trade its traditional night race for a prime spot on the NASCAR schedule.

More schedule changes will be announced Tuesday. Kansas Speedway will get a second Cup date.  And Kentucky Speedway will get its first - thanks to Atlanta, which will lose one.

To better understand the political maneuverings involved in NASCAR scheduling, be sure to read Jeff Gluck's great explanation over at SB Nation.

And that's - in the words of Walter Cronkite- the way it is.

(For right now at least).

Daytona Deja Vu

There must be something about Daytona that turns Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brian Vickers into a pair of star-crossed drivers.

Last year, the two tangled during the Daytona 500 to wreck half the field and begin what's become known as The Junior Slump of 2009.

And then in this afternoon's second race, Vickers and Junior got too close again again - leaving Junior pretty (insert profanity here)-ing angry while trying to race a car that was too dented up to make much of a difference in the outcome.

Junior wasn't the only driver who had a bone to pick with Vickers. Juan Pablo Montoya also voiced his highly charged opinions about the Red Bull driver on his team's radio, just after Vickers dropped Montoya, leaving the No. 42 car out of the draft.

Speaking of duels, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin start the Daytona 500 side by side. And something tells me their 2009 feud hasn't been forgotten. Hamlin was banging anything with sheet metal during his duel race today. Imagine when Keselowski is in the driver's seat, how hard Hamlin will hit.

If the incidents in today's races are any indication, things could get dicey and fiesty come Sunday.

Bring it on!

Photo info: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew works on his car during a Gatorade Duel qualifying auto race for NASCAR's Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010. - Associated Press

The Eleventh NASCAR Day of Christmas: Eleven Racers Tweeting

The NASCAR community on Twitter is growing by leaps and bounds. Fans, media members and NASCAR officials have all embraced the social networking site to varying degrees.

The good news is, so have many of the sport's drivers. Michael Waltrip, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kevin Harvick and Kenny Wallace are the most prolific. Their amusing and sometimes curious status updates give fans a real-time glimpse not only of their personal lives, but of their off-track personalities.

Personally, I think every driver should Tweet for himself - or herself (and she does, by the way, @DanicaPatrick).

So as a Christmas Eve treat (or should I say "tweet") - I've posted a few of the most recent Tweets by the 11 drivers on Twitter who post the most regularly - and have the most interesting things to say. Happy Holidays!

Michael Waltrip @mw55: "Anyway merry christmas to all. Cause I ride on the christmas bus. If ur on a different bus, bless u too. Good night."

Juan Pablo Montoya @jpmontoya: "Missing a present for the wife hopefully shows up!!!"

Kevin Harvick @KevinHarvick: "just got home from a full day.feeding the dogs now then time for dinner."

Kenny Wallace @Kenny_Wallace: "Hello My friends!.. Kim and I have decided this will be the first Christmas we Do Not Buy each other Big Gifts... All about our 3 Girls.."

Brian Vickers @brianvickers83: "is at the CV Products Holiday party and finishing up Christmas shopping today."

Kasey Kahne @kaseykahne: "Getting my hair cut off then I need to start christmas shopping. Should be a great week"

Denny Hamlin @dennyhamlin: "got half my christmas shopping done. did i mention that i dont know what to buy anyone.. i hate that about xmas. gift cards it is!"

Max Papis @maxpapis: "http://twitpic.com/usy99 - Relaxing from my room ...this is close to paradise"

Elliott Sadler @Elliott_Sadler: "Eatin dinner tonight for christmas eve eve. Let the diet have a rest for few days!! Should be fun!!"

Ryan Newman @RyanNewman39: "Put up some more deer cams & fed the deer. Wonder who we will see on there this time? http://bit.ly/7sCuFb"

Bobby Labonte @Bobby_Labonte: "Saw this photo at a friends house tonight. 1984 In Bristol. Left side 2nd row up. Good times. http://twitpic.com/ulhmb"

They're Not Just NASCAR Pretty Faces ....

Who's the fairest of them all?

Sporting News may not be an enchanted mirror, but according to the mag's NASCAR "50 Most Beautiful People" edition, the answer is Krissie Newman, wife of Stewart-Haas driver Ryan Newman.

Read the article and you'll find that Krissie is far from just another pretty face - she plays an integral role in Newman's career, works tirelessly on behalf of animal rescue and is also learning to pilot a helicopter.

In addition to the mag's behind-the-scenes look at Mrs. Newman, the pub is replete with interesting (and in one case mistaken) facts about some of the best-known personalites in the world of NASCAR.
.

• When Jimmie Johnson visited the White House this summer, President Barack Obama mistook Johnsons' Chevy for a Ford. In my book, that's a chief offense...

• For the record, Dale Earnhardt Jr's birthday is in October. The magazine erroneously stated that Junior was born in August. But I'm sure the editors have received plenty of e-mails from Junior Nation about this by now.

• Kasey Kahne keeps it all in the family. His younger brother Kale drives his motorcoach and is his personal chef. His sister Shannon helps run the Kasey Kahne Foundation and his mother Tammy oversees his fan club. Plus, his cousins drive his motorcoach and help run the Kasey Kahne Motorsports Shop.

• The sometimes cerebral Brian Vickers supports the proliferation of nuclear energy as a way for the U.S. to gain energy independence. In his own words, he's "not part of the whole Al Gore bandwagon".

You can purchase this special edition of Sporting News on newsstands now - although it might be tricky. I visited a few different book stores and grocey stores before finally finding it on the shelf at Wal-Mart.

The Unboring Side of Talladega

From the stripper poles on Talladega Boulevard to the chicken car in the infield, Dega sure wasn't boring. And even though the race itself wasn't what you'd call a thriller, the fun and festivities were memorable to say the least:

Note to self - next time, pack muddin' shoes: Saturday at 'Dega looked like NASCAR's own version of Woodstock--with rain, clouds and a bunch of formerly shiny, happy race fans coated in mud. The concert space for the night's Zac Brown Band show was a virtual pit of goo. But the fans didn't seem to mind (at least the ones wearing boots or galoshes.)

Yes, they need a man step: This may be neither here nor there, but to assist the Cup drivers with getting into the truckbeds for their pre-race trip around the track, NASCAR officials give them the benefit of a small plastic footstool. Sure, it may not be the most manly way to climb into a pickup, but for those who are more vertically challenged, it probably saves some face.

Martin's the Man: Mark Martin signed just about every autograph down the line on his way to the driver's meeting, and he also seemed to make a point to hang with AJ Allmendinger before driver introductions. It could've been mere coincidence, but something tells me that's just the kind of guy Mark is--his conversation with AJ sure kept the fans who gathered nearby from harrassing the driver about his recent DUI arrest.

Some People Shouldn't Be Allowed to Leave the House: Combine Halloween with Talladega and you can pretty much predict that there will be some off-kilter costume choices. The most memorable? The dude dressed as a giant phallus, the desperate soul who was offering "free mammograms," and the guy who duct-taped a turkey to his head (memorable not so much for the turkey, but for his method of construction - is there anything duct tape can't do?)

Little Bit of Chicken Fried: Yes, that was Brian Vickers driving the chicken car around the infield on Halloween night. That car got around Dega better than Max Papis.

Dega's Most Hated: It's no surprise that the biggest jeers from Talladega race fans were reserved for Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon. I chalk up Busch's poor reception to his rivalry with Dega's favorite son, Dale Jr. And Gordon was most cruelly jeered when he had to be pushed to pit road because he ran out of fuel. But I was truly surprised by the vitriolic remarks hurled Juan Pablo Montoya's way when he was introduced on Sunday. Guess he has a bit more convincing to do before he wins those Alabama fans over.

My Home's In Alabama: Maybe the coolest surprise of the day (at least for this Southern girl), was when Alabama's lead singer Randy Owen took the stage to sing "My Home's In Alabama" before the Star-Spangled Banner. Owen must also be at home in Talladega 'cause he made the crowd cheer with his black Earnhardt jacket.

Speaking of music: The Zac Brown Band and Randy Owen weren't the only performers entertaining the crowds at Dega. Although I didn't see this show myself Colt Ford - and his rendition of Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" - sure had fans raving on Sunday. Folks were calling it the best show of the weekend - might need to check out that CD.

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.

NASCAR Off Weekend -- What's a Driver to Do?

A little time off is a beautiful thing. Doesn't matter if you wear a white collar, blue collar or a firesuit, there's nothing like some R&R to set your soul free and put your mind at ease.

And while the boys of NASCAR will be enjoying some well-deserved down time this weekend (their last of the season), fans of the sport are going to be experiencing the pangs of racing withdrawal.

That's where the good folks at Ask.com come in. They've put together a page of behind-the-scenes facts that lets fans in on just what some of their favorite drivers will be doing come Saturday.

Just Search ‘NASCAR Off Weekend’ on Ask.com and you'll find exclusive info. including the scoop on rookie Scott Speed who will be taking his long awaited honeymoon to the Caribbean. You'll also discover that Clint Bowyer is taking a trip back home to Kansas, and that Kyle Busch won't be off at all--he'll be driving in the Camping World Truck Series race at Chicagoland and the Nationwide race in Montreal.

As an added bonus, fans who think they have a great idea for what else the drivers could be doing on their off weekends, can e-mail the idea to DriverOffWeekend@ask.com for a chance to win autographed Bobby Labonte merchandise.

This fan has her own ideas about what some of the top-tier drivers will be doing during their mini-vacation. My guess is that Michael Waltrip will be updating his Twitter status every two minutes with such fascinating tweets as the current state of his digestive system to the lyrics of his new favorite country song --but wait, that's every weekend. Greg Biffle? Well, he'll be trying not to do himself a harm while boating with his buddies. Brian Vickers will be squirreled away in a dark lab somewhere, devising a foolproof plan to wreak havoc on Kyle Busch. And finally, good ol' Tony Stewart will be spending all weekend counting up his Sprint Cup winnings.

Speaking of Tony Stewart, stay tuned to find out the winners of NASCARista's
"If I Were Smoke" contest. Winners will be announced next week.

Casey Mears' Dad Shares Father/Son Memories

In honor of Father's Day, the folks at Ask.com have contacted the dads of your favorite drivers and asked them to share their fondest memories of their now-famous sons. Roger Mears, Greg Newman, Martin Truex, Sr. and Clyde Vickers all chipped in with their stories about their boys. To read each Dad's interview in its entirety, just search “NASCAR Father’s Day” at Ask.com .

In the meantime, here's a little from Roger Mears on his son Casey's early start in racing:

Sprint Cup driver Casey Mears, pilot of the No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet, won his first NASCAR Cup Series race at the age of 29.

But his father, Roger, recalls the first indication that Casey would become a racing great himself. Casey was just two years of age. "One of my earliest memories is when Casey would sit for hours racing his little Hot Wheels cars,” Roger said.

By age four, Casey had left Hot Wheels behind and moved up to BMX bicycles. According to Mears, "Casey was so little that he couldn't touch the ground when he was on top of his bike, so I would have to hold the bike for the start of the race and then run down the hill to catch him when he finished."

Photo: Casey Mears and his dad Roger Mears

Vickers Pits in Manhattan

Brian Vickers and his Red Bull team showed New Yorkers what it really means to move it Wednesday when they treated the crowd in Times Square to a 14-second pit stop. Thanks to Tweep @jaybusbee for sharing the video on Twitter and posting it on From the Marbles.

Biffle Takes a Dive and Other Race Week Ramblings

He meant to do that: For all you #16 fans who remember Greg Biffle's boating "accident" earlier this year, you'll be interested to know that the Biff has taken yet another dive. Fortunately, this time, he meant to hit the water. Biffle was in Tampa yesterday as part of the 2009 Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Media Day. While there, he took the plunge and swam with all manner of fish at the Florida Aquarium. An added bonus, none of Biffle's ribs (or marine life for that matter), were injured during the event.

More than meets the eye: Kyle Busch will drive a new Transformers: Return of the Fallen/M&M's paint scheme at the Infineon road course in Sonoma, CA. This is ironic in so many ways. Given the backlash against guitar man, I bet Joe Gibbs is wishing he could transform Busch's image about now.

Speaking of Joe Gibbs Racing: If anybody needs the luck of the Irish Hills for the Lifelock 400, it's poor Denny Hamlin. Seriously, could he have had a more discouraging day at Pocono? Hamlin had the fastest car in practice, but with a busted fuel pump right out of the gate, he didn't ever have a shot at a decent finish. The law of averages would indicate he's due for a good race. Hopefully, Hamlin will find his pot of gold at MIS--or at least finish in the top 10.

Everyone's favorite track?: It's true. Drivers adore Michigan--even if they've never won there before. Says Jeff Gordon, "You would think my favorite track would be one where I've won more times, but I love Michigan." Per Bobby Labonte,"Michigan is my favorite race track to go to as a race car driver. I just love Michigan speedway. It’s just a fun race track to race at and I know that I’ve used every groove there ever was to run there, from entry to middle to exit. " Then there's Brian Vickers, “Michigan’s a great track with some really fun racing. I like the fact that it’s wall-to-wall racing." Finally, David Stremme, “Michigan International Speedway is awesome."

Just because I love Duke basketball: Houston Rockets star and Naismith winner/Duke basketball alum Shane Battier will be taking in his first Cup race this weekend as part of a promotional effort for the ServiceMaster Clean/Shane Battier Franchise Scholarship . “Growing up in Detroit, with my family and friends entrenched in the automotive industry, gave me a keen appreciation for cars,” said Battier. “And having lived in the NASCAR belt for the past 12 years - in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas – I thought it was about time to get to a NASCAR race.”

The Heat Is On for #88

It's been a long time coming, but change has come to the #88 team. And with big change, comes big expectations.

The rumor that has been denied for months, is a rumor no more. Effective this weekend, Tony Eury Jr. is out as Dale Earnhardt Jr's crew chief. Brian Whitesell will be atop the pit box Sunday, followed by Lance McGrew (Brian Vickers former crew chief) for the rest of the year.

From the sound of things, McGrew isn't going to just wait around and hope for better things. "Everything and everybody will be evaluated," McGrew told ESPN.com Thursday. "First thing next week, I basically start evaluating everything. I think some decisions will be easy and some really hard, because in the economy today, and the decisions that have to be made to turn a ship, sometimes that affects people's jobs. And that's the last thing you want to have happen to you today."

What this move means for the Amp/National Guard team is clear enough. Once McGrew gets the right folks in the right spots and gives Junior a Chevy that's competitive again, there will be no more excuses. It's time for Junebug to put up, shut up or give up. Period.

Here's hoping he puts up.

Why "The Nation" Likes Junior

Dale Jr's taken a lot of heat since Sunday from just about every corner of the racing world and blogsophere. But he didn't let the brutal week end before doing the right thing. He called Brian Vickers and apologized for the wreck heard 'round the world.

Whether Vickersgate was intentional or not is a moot point. What matters to Junior Nation, is that once again, their driver "manned up" and took the hard road--because it was the right thing to do.

There are tons of reasons why folks initally pick Junior as their favorite driver. But the reason so many fans stay loyal to him come hell or highwater is because of Junior himself--not his father, not his track record, and not his marketing.

He may not be the smoothest talker or have multiple championships under his belt, but Junior is who he is and he makes no apology for that. There are folks who likely think Junior's every move, and even his apology to Brian Vickers, are all part of a public relations ploy to further ingratiate himself with race fans. But if that's the case, the man deserves an Oscar. You can fake smarts and you can fake professionalism, but you can't fake real. And that's what Junior is.

Dale Jr is like your Uncle Ervin, your brother Clint and your buddy Jimmy all rolled into one. He's the type of guy you might find in the stands at the I-20 Dirt Track, fishing on Smith Lake or gettin' loud and knockin' back a few at the Stumble Inn Bar and Grill. He reminds you of someone who can change your oil, build a deerstand, and make you laugh at the same time. He looks comfortable in camo, at ease in a pick-up and dressed up in blue jeans.

In short, Junior is good people. And that goes a long way with folks who know good people when they see them.

Some Broadcast Tips for the Boys at FOX

After watching the Daytona 500 on Fox Sunday, I can’t help but think that the boys at Fox need a bit of advice.

Not that I have anything against Darrell Waltrip, Larry Mac and co., but I don’t watch a race to see music-laden cartoons of a hapless gopher and cutaway segments for Ask.com.

If the folks at FOX want to keep this race fan happy, and keep me from switching to MRN coverage, here’s a few pieces of advice:

1. Limit your on-screen graphics. I can’t tell you how many times during the race I felt like I was looking around and even through the graphics to see what was happening on the track. I want to see the race. Not experiments in how many cool stat boxes you can fit on screen at the same time.

2. Call it like you see it. If you’ve been to a race or ever listened to coverage by MRN radio, you’ll know what I mean. Sure the guys in the Hollywood Hotel are entertaining, but they sometimes forget to call the race (especially when they’re doing a sponsored segment). And sometimes, when they do call the race, they lack the excitement that makes MRN so fantastic. Pay attention, tell me what's happening and get hyped up boys – it’s racing!

3. Radio chatter – I want more. Of course, if I’m watching Direct TV I can listen to chatter all I want. But it would behoove the folks at FOX to pay heed to this snippet of advice: don’t leave out this most interesting discourse of all. This is what fans really want to hear. Take, for instance, Junior’s threat to meet Brian Vickers in the garage after the race. Fox didn’t play it. I had to read that online. Remember, drama sells. And some of the best drama can be heard on team radios.

4. Commercials, is there no end? I know commercials pay the bills. And I’m thrilled that there are corporate sponsors who still find room in their advertising budgets for NASCAR air time. But could you please limit the number of commercial interruptions and run some ads on the bottom of the screen instead? Though this seems to contradict my first point, I stress that one commercial at a time, while the race continues above, would not bother me in the least. It would be a blessing.

Truly guys, I wish you no ill-will. You work hard, you’re funny and you clearly know what you’re talking about. Just please lessen this fan’s race-watching frustrations and consider my advice. It would make this fan, and a host of others, real happy.