Ryan and Chrissie Newman
welcomed Brooklyn Sage
on Nov. 18, 2010.
In 2010, the Sprint Cup drivers' lot turned into Romper Room.
And it's not because Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski got into a play fight.
There was a bona fide baby boom in NASCAR that set this season apart. At last count, a whopping seven babies were born to drivers and their wives - and there's one due at the end of this year.
1. Jimmie Johnson and wife Chandra welcomed Genevieve Marie.
There's nothing like a road course to get a girl thinking about road music.
You know - those guilty musical pleasures that are best enjoyed with the windows rolled down and the world whizzing by in an emerald and azure blur.
So in honor of this week's road course race at Watkins Glen, I've come up with a few tracks that are best enjoyed behind the wheel. And it doesn't hurt that these selections just happen to be inspired by some current NASCAR happenings ...
"Shut Up and Kiss Me" by Mary Chapin Carpenter - When fans found out NASCAR fined drivers Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman for comments that were damaging to the sport, cyberspace lit up like a bug zapper in July. The general consensus is that NASCAR has adopted that age-old admonition, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Or, as some fans are claiming, "Kiss up or shell out."
"Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode - This is what a lot of us have been trying to do this week. Because silent is what Twitter has been since Hamlin told the press his fine was due to a few ill-conceived tweets.
A handful of drivers are still tweeting on a regular basis (Scott Speed and Kevin Harvick come to mind). However, since Finegate, fans haven't seen the much-loved smack talk that has made Twitter such a great medium for the sport. More's the pity.
"Fighting Side of Me" by Merle Haggard - Although Haggard's anthem is more about runnin' down the great U.S. of A. than runnin' down another driver, the chorus is just too good to resist. I offer this selection in honor of the recently renewed Kurt Busch/Jimmie Johnson feud. Have at it boys!
"Love Shack" by the B-52s - Perhaps I should say "Love Shaq," because that's what lots of NASCAR fans are doing after last night's season premiere of "Shaq vs.". Fans loved the fact that O'Neal was such a good sport when he went head-to-head with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the Concord Speedway. It appears that the show may be a rare bright spot on the wasteland that is summer television. And Shaq's repeated praise of NASCAR didn't hurt my opinion of the big guy (or his show) either.
"Stickshifts and Safetybelts" by Cake - Although the boys of Cake decry the necessity of safetybelts in this 1990s nugget, Elliott Sadler is thanking his lucky stars right now that his belts held true. And so are legions of fans.
"Chevrolet" by The Derek Trucks Band - I realize that the new Ford F9 engine is getting all the hype after Greg Biffle's win at Pocono. But at Watkins Glen, my money is on a pair of Chevys - Tony Stewart or Jeff Gordon, to be exact. After all, they are the road course kings.
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" by Michael Jackson - Every now and then you've got to go old school. And no feud has captured the old school feuds of yore like the Carl Edwards/Brad Keselowski saga. Those two are starting something alright. I just hope they finish it on the track.
"This Ol' Wheel" by Shooter Jennings - We get it. In NASCAR years, Mark Martin is old. But the fact that he's got a few years on the rest of his competition doesn't keep him from rollin'. Sure, he hasn't had quite the year so far that he had in 2009. But ol' Mark is still poised to make The Chase. Consider also that Martin did score three wins at Watkins Glen in the mid-nineties.
Elliott Sadler made the list of worldwide trending topics on Twitter today.
Not because he won the Craftsman Series truck race at Pocono Saturday. And not because he had a stellar finish in the Cup race.
But because he suffered one of the hardest hits in recent NASCAR history. A hit so hard, it knocked the engine right out of his car.
It all began with 36 laps to go. That's when an impatient Jimmie Johnson tried to bump draft with the No. 2 Dodge of Kurt Busch. Busch lost control, hit the outside wall and spun into the infield.
Meanwhile, back in the pack, the incident caused another, more serious crash. While most drivers checked up to avoid the Busch incident, early reports indicate that A.J. Allmendinger did not. Instead, Allmendinger hit the No. 19 car of Sadler
As a result, Sadler's car slid down the track and hit the inside fence head-on.
Hard.
To make matters worse, the fence Sadler hit doesn't qualify as a "SAFER barrier," a foam-enhanced wall which would have absorbed some of the impact. Pocono officials have said they will upgrade that portion of the infield guardrail to SAFER standards next year.
Unfortunately, Sadler's wreck happened a little too early for him to benefit from Pocono's planned improvements.
But what really set fans and pundits like Kyle Petty talking, is what Pocono did choose to spend their budget on this year.
Instead of getting the safety barriers up to snuff in time for this month's race, Pocono Raceway opted to build a solar farm next to the track in order to make the venue more energy efficient. The cost of the solar farm? 15.5 million dollars.
Energy efficiency is all well and good. But what about driver and fan safety? What would the fallout be if Sadler had NOT been released from the infield care center? Would folks give a rip about the track's reduced carbon footprint then?
It's not like this is the first time a serious incident, that could have had tragic results, has occurred at the tricky triangle. As recently as June of this year, Kasey Kahne went airborne in the middle of a multi-car smashup on the backstretch. There is no catch fence on the backstretch. Just trees:
And Cup drivers, including today's winner Greg Biffle, have recently expressed strong concern about Pocono safety.
"They could probably still do a little bit of work at Pocono," Biffle told Sports Illustrated on July 5. "They're going to kill somebody there."
And let's not forget the 2002 incident between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Park :
I don't begrudge Pocono their solar farm. But such investments should be prioritized. Driver and fan safety should come first. Period.
Luckily, Elliott Sadler will not be too worse for wear. He tweeted not long after his accident, "Just want to let everybody know I'm ok,prob gonna be sore but glad to walk away.Hardest hit I've ever had. Huge difference from a safer wall."
Good news indeed.
But to lessen the likelihood of such a wreck happening again, I propose that track officials who don't make necessary safety upgrades lose a race date.
I don't care if a raceway boasts a wind farm, organic concessions, compost toilets and Al Gore as the Grand Marshal.
If track owners fail to invest in obvious and necessary safety features (like SAFER barriers) then the race track should suffer the consequences.
The first few laps of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway were more surreal than those melting clocks of Salvador Dali.
And it began with a bang.
Kyle Busch lost control of his No. 18 Toyota on lap one. And this uncharacteristic error caused a pileup which collected seven cars total, including Sam Hornish Jr., Elliot Sadler and Reed Sorenson.
The collision also set in motion a series of events which had something to do with the turf Busch tore through on the infield, that then attached to the grilles of multiple cars. The adhesive grass caused multiple cars to overheat and pretty soon, steamingcars were pitting left and right.
Then Max Papis' No. 13 car blew an engine and caught fire. More tires blew up. And, for a bit, it appeared we may be in for the second installment of the 2008 Indy disaster.
But in a few more laps things settled down. And it became clear that Juan Pablo Montoya would dominate the race.
But NASCAR, like Juan Pablo, is nothing, if not unpredictable. And when Montoya's crew chief Brian Pattie called for four tires during the last pit stop (instead of two, like most of the cars out front), Montoya became mired in traffic. And his previous domination was all for naught.
And Montoya wasn't happy about it.
On lap 146, while trying to make up some ground and regain the lead, Montoya overdrove his No. 42 Chevy right into the turn two wall. On his slide back down the track, he was hit by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who simply had nowhere else to go.
The incident ended Montoya's night. And suddenly his Earnhardt-Ganassi teammate, Jamie McMurray was sitting in what minutes before seemd Montoya's spot by rights.
McMurray took full advantage of his track position. And he nosed past leader Kevin Harvick to open a sizable lead. Then it was an easy cruise to the checkers.
Today's win put McMurray into elite company - he's now only the third driver in history to win the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same yaer (the other two are Dale Jarrett and Jimmie Johnson).
But, more importantly, it put Chip Ganassi in the history books and possibly a new exhibit at the Speedway's Hall of Fame Museum. With McMurray's victory, Ganassi became the first team owner in history to win the Daytona 500, the Indy 500 (with driver Dario Franchitti) and the Brickyard 400 in the same year.
Call Ganassi's feat the trifecta, the triple crown or the holy trinity. But whatever you call it, this year's Brickyard was simply surreal.
Photo info: Jamie McMurray and team owner Chip Ganassi celebrate after McMurray won the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday - Associated Press.
Jimmie Johnson put on one heckuva racing clinic Sunday at Loudon. And although Kurt Busch made things exciting at the end, Johnson out-raced the Blue Deuce for the lead and a second consecutive victory.
Johnson and team now boasts a second place points standing. And with five wins on the season, he's in a sweet spot come Chase time.
Can we finally say the slump is officially over?
Gordon Makes a Clean Getaway
Although Martin Truex Jr. and Elliott Sadler had Jeff Gordon in their sights after Sonoma, neither driver got close enough to the No. 24 to make good on their post-Cali threats.
Gordon snagged a fourth-place finish, while Sadler and Truex finished 19th and 22nd respectively.
Don't worry boys - there's always Daytona. And a lot can happen when you get in the draft.
Junior Headed in the Right Direction
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been running in the top 10 during the last couple races and at Loudon (a track that hasn't always been kind to him), he drove the No. 88 from 31st to 8th.
Not too shabby for a team that has lately been characterized by sliding progressively backwards during any given race.
Fast forward to Saturday. If ever there was a track where Junior can make things happen, it's Daytona International Speedway. To wit, his February Daytona 500 performance. Nearly giving Junior Nation a collective coronary, Earnhardt went from 10th to 2nd in hard-driving style, bouncing off bumpers and banging fenders for a last lap effort that almost secured him the win.
Sheer numerology may also be in his favor. Consider that Junior will be running the No. 3 in Friday's Nationwide Series race and that the Cup race will take place on July 3rd.
Something must've gotten under Jeff Gordon's skin at Sonoma.
Maybe he had too much vino the night before. Or perhaps he was suffering a case of sympathy hormones . But it's more likely the veteran driver has grown tired of playing second fiddle at HMS and decided to bully his way to the front come hell or highwater.
Whatever the reason, Infineon Raceway brought out the mean streak in Gordon. His all-business mentality sent him plowing into Elliott Sadler, Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. Clint Bowyer was also caught up in the Sadler melee.
Gordon's hard-driving style made for some exciting moments during and after the race. But it also may have been orchestrated to send a message to his NASCAR compatriots - namely that Jimmie Johnson isn't the only four-time champ on the Cup circuit.
An irate Sadler and a hacked off Truex vowed revenge. And if they can catch Gordon at Loudon, Sunday's race could be a wreckfest.
And this time it may well be Gordon on the receiving end.
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.
Although it's been an unconfirmed Twitter rumor for a few weeks, it's now official. Jimmie Johnson and his wife Chandra are expecting their first baby in July.
There must be something in that infield water, because Johnson joins fellow Sprint Cup drivers Carl Edwards and Elliott Sadler who will both become fathers in February and March, respectively.
Even broadcasters are getting in on the baby boom. ESPN pit reporter Shannon Spake gave birth to twin boys on New Years Day.
Fortunately for guys like Johnson, there's no dearth of infant merchandise sporting the #48. My only question is, what baby names are the couple's hot list? Could we see a Jimmie Jr. or even a Chad Hendrick Johnson? And if Baby Johnson is a she, will Jimmie and Channie could take a page from Ramona Quimby and name her Chevrolet or maybe Lowe-la?
Regardless, it seems babies will be the hottest infield accessory in 2010. So watch out Danica - and don't drink the water.
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"
When NASCAR comes home to Charlotte on Oct. 17 for the NASCAR Banking 500, Bobby Labonte will have more people on his tail than any other driver on the track – literally.
More than 13,000 names of people affected by breast cancer will be featured on the rear of Labonte’s pink No. 96 as part of a breast cancer awareness program with his sponsor Ask.com. The search engine transformed its homepage into a one-day memorial for those affected by breast cancer on Oct. 1 to celebrate the start of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and its national partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Each Tribute made that day will be incorporated into the #96 paint scheme.
Labonte, will also sport a firesuit and helmet inspired by the pink colors of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, “Ask.com did a great job allowing people a way to honor and remember loved ones affected by breast cancer because it does affect everyone,” said Labonte.
Ask.com, the Official Search Engine of NASCAR, recently announced a national multi-faceted partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure which included a pledge to invest $1 million to the organization. Throughout October, race fans can continue to participate in the Ask.com Search for the Cure program at www.Ask.com/cure. By downloading the special Komen search “skin” and answering questions about breast health, Ask.com will continue to make donations to Susan G. Komen for the Cure on behalf of users.
Other drivers with breast cancer awareness paint schemes include Elliott Sadler, Kyle Busch and Bill Elliott.
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.
Wanna help Elliott Sadler win a race? We'll there's not really much you can do for him at Michigan this weekend, but in the world of cyberspace, you may be able to lend him a hand.
Check out "Rooftop Racer," a NASCAR®-themed online challenge from Coke Zero that adds a unique twist to taking the checkered flag. Imagine driving a race car while balancing a 20-oz. Coke Zero bottle on the roof. Unconventional? Yes. Easy to do? Absolutely not. But that’s exactly the predicament Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Elliott Sadler finds himself in when he exits pit road and leaves his ice-cold bottle of Coke Zero on top of his racecar.
The premise of the “Rooftop Racer” online game – available at www.rooftopracer.com – is to help Sadler cross the finish line without spilling a drop. Fans can test their skills for bragging rights, or beginning today, enter the Coke Zero “Rooftop Racer Cup,” a contest that gives fans the chance to play and win every week. Prizes will vary from T-shirts and autographed Sadler merchandise to a grand-prize trip to the season-ending Ford 400 at Miami-Homestead. Fans can play and enter at www.rooftopracer.com through October 25.
When Kasey Kahne beat Tony Stewart to the punch on multiple late-race restarts, he surprised every fan, broadcaster and vintner in Sonoma. But Kahne's admittedly unexpected victory wasn't the only shocker on Sunday. There were a few more drivers who put on a decent outing at Infineon, despite the low expectations of pre-race pundits.
Rookie Joey Logano wheeled his Home Depot Toyota like a road course vet, moving deftly in and out of traffic and keeping his car clean for the majority of the race. By and large, Logano looked more lively than ringers like Scott Speed and Ron Fellows. But his day ended badly with some contact on the track and he left Sonoma with a 19th place finish--not indicative of the way he ran all day.
Dale Earnhardt Jr is usually so little of a threat at road courses that Direct TV didn't even broadcast his radio chatter this week. (The Junior Hot Pass channel is typically a race day staple). Running in the top 10 toward the end of the race, it looked like Junior was going to astound the NASCAR world with one his best finishes of the year. And then he was dive-bombed by Carl Edwards which effectively put the kibosh on a promising run.
Eliott Sadler managed to leave Cali with a top 10 finish--his first since the Daytona 500. Thankfully, Sadler had nothing to cry about this Sunday.
And AJ Allmendinger gave Richard Petty Motorsports the icing on the cake with his seventh-place run--and his third top 10 of the season. With Kahne in Victory Lane and AJ showing so strongly, Father's Day sure was kind to The King.
If you're a member of the Sadler Fan Club, then now's your chance to go bowling with your favorite NASCAR brothers.
The fun in the "fast lanes" takes place from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., Oct. 14 at Dave and Busters in Concord, NC. This Fan Club members only event includes bowling (obviously), autographs, photos with Elliott and Hermie, prizes, food and more!
Tickets are $20 a pop and that includes food, drinks and bowling. Limit four tickets per Fan Club member. Purchase them now at at SadlerFanClub.com. You can order them by clicking here. There are a limited number of tickets available so order ASAP.
Political party affiliations be damned. This week, NASCAR fans have a much more complicated vote to cast--namely, to decide which Sprint Cup driver is All-Star worthy.
We only have until Saturday at 7:30 p.m. to cast our vote for who's in. So to help the indecisive among us, I've put together a short little voting guide for the 10 drivers who are currently leading the fan vote. And if this isn't enough, check out a search engine like Ask.com and type in the names of your pick. We fans need all the help we can get!
AJ Allmendinger: He's the king of shameless self-promotion and he unabashedly begs for votes every time a TV camera crosses his path. He's got one top five and two top 10 finishes this season. Plus, he races for The King Richard Petty, so what more needs to be said?
Bill Elliott: Awesome Bill from Dawsonville has long been a NASCAR all-star. With 44 career Cup wins, this old-school vet may be a bit long in the tooth...but he can still lay down a fast lap. Because of his past career successes, Elliott gets my vote, hands down.
Joey Logano: Boy Wonder has two top 10 finishes this season. But winning Rookie of the Year should be enough accolades for this kid. Making him an all-star so early on is definitely putting the cart before the horse.
Jamie McMurray: He's a guy that race day pundits usually pick as a sleeper to contend for the win. But so far in '09 he hasn't been able to pull it off. In fact, McMurray hasn't won a Cup race since 2007. But things could be worse--at least the #26 team has three top 10s to their credit this season.
Juan Pablo Montoya: He takes no guff and he cuts no slack. Plus, the off chance that Montoya might start a fist fight on the track is reason enough to cast your vote for the #42. If you need numbers, he's got three top 10 finishes this year.
David Ragan: Ragan scored his first Nationwide win this season, but he has yet to take the checkered flag in Sprint Cup (his best finish thus far is a top 10). Still, there's something about Ragan that's intensely likeable. Maybe it's his Unadilla accent.
David Reutimann: A pleasant surprise in the early going and a huge boon to MWR. As they say, Reutimann is The Franchise. With four top 10 finishes and one top five, surely Reutimann will pull out a win before Homestead.
Eliott Sadler: I love ol' Elliott, but I just can't get past his near crying jag when he realized he was going to lose this year's Daytona 500. It was almost as uncomfortable as watching Gilles tear up on Dancing With the Stars. But then again, he does have a top five and a top 10 finish.
Martin Truex Jr.: Any driver that can last an entire race whilst suffering from a kidney stone deserves your admiration and arguably your vote. Plus, he's finished in the top 10 three times this year. Martin's a man among boys.
Michael Waltrip: Where do I begin? He wrecks almost every time he touches the track (and usually more than once per race). But then again, he sure is funny. If it's entertainment you seek, then by all means vote Waltrip. Besides, he has managed to eke out one top 10 finish.
Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling will partner with longtime TNA personality and NASCAR analyst Hermie Sadler as the primary sponsor for Sadler’s entry in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 at 2 p.m. Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.
And little brother Elliott, and the whole Sadler clan, will be on-hand at the paper clip to cheer Hermie on. Says the younger Sadler, "I spent a lot of time when I was younger going to the racetrack to watch my brother race and I get excited when we get a chance to see him back behind the wheel ... I just hope that when the race ends on Sunday that I can say both my brother and I visited victory lane on the same weekend. If not, I want to finish higher than Hermie does. We still have a little sibling rivalry thing going on sometimes."
Hermie Sadler, the 1993 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year and current analyst for SPEED, will enter the first of three scheduled races he plans to drive this year. He previously drove the TNA Wrestling truck at Martinsville in 2008.
“I am really looking forward to getting back on the track this weekend at Martinsville. There’s no pressure as far as points this time, just to go out there, race hard, and hopefully get a good finish,” Hermie said.
Although the dummies at "The Academy" have scheduled their piddly little awards ceremony for the same time slot as the Auto Club 500 (again), I'd hate for race fans to miss out on the parade of golden trophies, acceptance speeches and red carpet couture. So, per special request, the Academy members have held an emergency, private meeting and cast their votes for the best performances in NASCAR. May I have the envelope please?
Best Lead Driver in a Dramatic Role: Though other drivers have campaigned hard for this award, was the outcome ever in doubt? This Oscar goes to Kyle Busch--the man who's bringing drama back to motorsports. Bold, brash and pretty darn talented, this hothead has single-handedly instigated rivalries with just about everyone in the sport including Dale Jr, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Ron Hornaday, Kevin Harvick, Rod Blagojevich (OK, now that last one I made up, but you get my point). To tell the truth, there's something curiously admirable about a guy who can make so many enemies and still win so many races.
Best Paint Scheme Design: Now that the Academy has finally figured out that Tony has traded one Depot for another and that Bobby Labonte drives the car with the big Ask.com, they've been able to cast an educated vote. In an almost unanimous decision, this award goes to the #24 car, Jeff Gordon. His new paint job is both fast, furious and fabulous.
Most Uncomfortable On-Screen Moment: When Michael Waltrip pretended his beer bottle was a (ummm, how shall I say this in polite company?) "private appendage" during the Bud Shootout Selection Show, was I the only one who felt violated? Two things: not funny and ewww - there are kids watching! Note to Michael: no one wants to see your bottle.
Best Signature Post-Race Move: Like, the burnout is so cliche already! It takes some real creative types to come up with a new way to celebrate a checkered flag. From Carl Edwards' back flippin' to Tony Stewart's fence climbin' there are a few drivers who know how to put their own spin on a win. But again, this award goes to Kyle Busch. Who else could bow to a crowd with such bravado, while being pelted with a fusillade of boos and seat cushions?
The "There's No Crying In NASCAR" Acheivement Award: As evidenced by his remarks on the radio as the Daytona 500 wound down, Elliott Sadler was clearly distraught by his inability to pull out a win. Although I could not see his face for the helmet, glare and safety net, I have it on good authority that he did not burst into tears--for which race fans are grateful. Elliott, look on the bright side, you're in the top five in points!
The Best Director Award: There were some strong contenders in this category: Steve Addington, Bob Osborne and Todd Berrier, just to name a few. But for sheer performance when it counts and the ability to lead his team to win after win, this Oscar goes to Chad Knaus. In addition to being a record-breaking crew chief, he may also be the smartest man in the Sprint Cup Garage.
Best Soundtrack: This one's easy. Tony Stewart's heartfelt and melodic rendition of "Ole, Ole, Ole" while taking the lead in the Daytona 500. Tony, do you take requests? I hear that "Freebird" song is pretty popular...
