The Eighth NASCAR Day of Christmas: 8 NASCAR Babies

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. 

2. To Jeff Gordon and Ingrid was born Leo Benjamin. 

3. Mr. and Mrs. Carl Edwards said hello to little Anne Edwards.

4. Elliott and Amanda Sadler became the proud parents of Wyatt Herman Fritts Sadler. 

5.  Juan Pablo and Connie Montoya added baby Manuela to their family. 

6.  Ryan and Krissie Newman welcomed Brooklyn Sage. 

7. Carter Scott was born to Jamie and Christy McMurray.

8. Finally, Sam Hornish Jr. and his wife Crystal are expecting to end the year with the birth of their second child.

And for the record, all those skeptics who claimed Johnson would be adversely affected by the stress of fatherhood, now don't have a leg to stand on.

Fishing for Backpacks

Earlier this week, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman did what boys do when they have a few hours of down time.

They went fishin'.

On Tuesday, the Stewart-Haas Racing teammates took part in the second-annual Office Depot Foundation Charity Fishing Tournament.

But this wasn't just off track unwind time for the drivers. It was all to raise money for the Office Depot Foundation. In fact, this year Stewart has partnered with the Foundation to help donate more than 300,000 book bags to non-profit organizations and schools that work with children in need nationwide.

“I had a great time fishing and all for a great cause,” Stewart said of his time on the water. “I’ve had a chance to work with the Office Depot Foundation on its National Backpack Program for the past two years, and it’s one of the most rewarding things I do."

I can't vouch for the fact that Stewart reeled in the fish in the above photo himself.  But sources inform me that his team reeled in a total catch of 14.4 pounds, while Newman’s team wasn’t far behind with 9.4 pounds.
 
Photo courtesy of Gort Productions

Non-Chaser of Note: Ryan Newman

Someone should tell Ryan Newman that he can't win the championship.

Because he sure is racing like it's his to lose.

Since the Chase for the Sprint Cup kicked off at Loudon, non-chaser Newman has notched a top 10 every race - giving him an average finish of 7.5. 

Those are better numbers than points leader Jimmie Johnson - who has an average Chase finish of 7.75.  And it's the same average as Chase contender Kevin Harvick, who tangled with the hard-charging Newman at the tail end of Sunday's Pepsi Max 400.

"We had a little beating and banging there with the No. 29 car near the end of the race that caused a little bit of damage that we had to fix," Newman said.  "We got behind but our car was strong enough to get back in the top five."

In other words, Newman doesn't plan to give an inch - championship contender or no.

Too bad Newman and the No. 39 team didn't run this consistently earlier in the season.

If they had, Newman would be right up there with boss, teammate and Fontana winner Tony Stewart - who's now fifth in the points.

Michigan Gets Everything Right - Almost

The Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway was practically perfect.

The track was fast and furious. Jack Roush was back after his plane crash a couple weeks ago and watched his drivers take four of the top 11 spots. There were lead changes galore.  And Joey Logano and Ryan Newman even managed a slight post-race altercation to keep things juicy.

In fact, it's a good day at the races when the worst thing you can say is that the national anthem was butchered by a seemingly drunk member of Saving Abel.

The creepy rendition of the Star Spangled Banner made many a NASCAR fan wish Cain would show up and put Abel out of its misery.  It was so odd, even race winner Kevin Harvick mentioned it on the team radio before the green flag dropped.

But still and all, a bad anthem does not a bad race make.

And it sure wasn't a bad race for Harvick.

A prescient gamble by crew chief Gil Martin kept Harvick out of the pits and in prime position to win his third race of the season.  And he took full advantage of the opportunity, chasing Denny Hamlin down for the lead which he maintained the rest of the race.

The victory in the Irish Hills locks Harvick and the No. 29 team into the Chase. And it also shows his competitors that RCR can win on an oval.

"It's a lot of fun to come to the racetrack right now," Harvick said. "Everybody is doing a great job of not only continuing to press but to put better things on the racetrack and put things together correctly and just do a great job at the shop."

Eine Kleine RoadMusik - NASCAR style

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.

• Shut Up And Kiss Me by Mary Chapin Carpenter
• Enjoy The Silence by Depeche Mode
• The Fighting Side of Me by Merle Haggard
• Love Shack by The B-52's
• Stickshifts And Safetybelts by Cake
• Chevrolet by The Derek Trucks Band

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Headline note - a spin on Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" or translated - "A Little Serenade" or "A Little Night Music".

Ultimate Summer Job Winners Share Their Brickyard Experience

Jason Zone Fisher and Adam Ward are two lucky guys.  The pair recently won the ProGlide Ultimate Summer Job contest and, as a result, they're being paid $50 thousand to document their summer which they're spending at major sports and entertainment events across the country.

On Sunday, the guys hit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Brickyard 400 where they had the chance to ask Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman a question for us. 

More specifically, they asked the question that's on everybody's mind after that Mullet Nation commercial first aired.  Namely, would either driver ever consider growing a mullet?

Said Kyle Busch, "I think it would take me a long time to grow it. [Points to Adam] You’re on your way though … except you don’t have enough 'party' in the back."

And does Newman see long hair in his future?  "I think that Joey’s (Logano) mullet was better than mine," Newman said.

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.

Rain Delays Make For Good Reading

To paraphrase "The Old Perfesser" Casey Stengel, "Now there's three things you can do in a NASCAR race: You can win or you can lose or it can rain."

You can say that again.

While fans watched and waited and watched some more, the radar over Texas played the NASCAR faithful false, promising clear skies and an end to the wet while delivering only more drops and and puddles at the track.

After napping through much of FOX's extended Texas broadcast, this fan awoke to the news that both the Cup and Nationwide races would be postponed 'til Monday - leaving me feeling cheated out of some green flag gratification.

However, life is all about how you handle Plan B.  So, with Plan A a wash, I turned to Twitter to read how the drivers were coping with the downpour.

I discovered that the guys at Red Bull Racing were participating in some sort of infield Olympics. Kevin Harvick left the track to hit The Cheesecake Factory and a movie.  Juan Pablo Montoya was just plain bored. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. was devising ways to get NASCAR PR girl Jen Powell to work the word "knockers" into an official e-mail bulletin (I kid you not).

For me, there's nothing better on a rainy day than curling up with a long book and some hot tea.  And, when I'm wearing my NASCAR hat, I swap my book for a laptop and catch up on my racing reading.

Below are a few of my favorite NASCAR blogs- ones I try to read on a regular basis, or a least when I have a spare minute (like rain delays for instance):

The boys at The Spotter Stand do one heckuva job on their self-made web site.  I especially enjoy reading their Catch Can feature - can't wait to meet them in person at Talladega.

The folks at Rubbings Racing cover the sport carefully and well - and their podcasts are fantastic. If you've never checked them out before, do so immediately. You won't be disappointed.

Another one of my fave racing blogs is Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie - they've always got some  interesting opinions to share. To wit, this post on Ryan Newman's recent surge.

For those of a more literary inclination, my buddy Ovalscream has some of the most comprehensive and well-written posts on the web. He's the New York Times of the NASCAR blogosphere. USA Today fans take heed!

Finally, there's no better site to find out the revised NASCAR TV schedule than The Daly Planet - John Daly's informative, up-to-the-minute blog about all things relating to NASCAR's TV coverage.  The site is slam-packed with info., plus he's a nice guy to boot.

Happy reading!

A Weekend for the Good Guys

Phil Mickelson wasn't the only good guy who had one heckuva weekend.

It may not have been The Masters, but Ryan Newman's Saturday night sure was nothing to sneeze at.

To say Newman has had a tough couple of years is an understatement.  And that's probably why when Newman hopped out of his car after his Phoenix win, his joy was palpable.

"This is the most emotional victory I've ever had in my entire career just because it's been so long," Newman said.

As of late, Newman's career has been highlighted by a two-year winless streak and and a heart-stopping flight through the air at Talladega last Fall.  Not what you'd call a lucky streak.

Yet as the Subway Fresh Fit 600 wound down, Newman ran his No. 39 Tornados Chevy to the front in a late-race move, and held off a hard-charging Jeff Gordon during the final two laps.

Seeing Newman back in Victory Lane gave fans the warm and fuzzies. It always puts a smile on your face to see an athlete that hasn't won in a while get back his mojo.  But it's especially cheering when that athlete is a certifiable good guy.

Just ask a Phil Mickelson fan.

Sights and Sounds from Daytona

The Daytona 500 was one long race day. But when fans weren't waiting around for pothole repair, there was plenty to see and do. Below are some of my favorite photos and videos from Daytona 500 weekend. Enjoy!

Sign-waving fans line the Speed TV stage before the race.






Kyle Petty autographs Home Depot hard hats before the Raceday broadcast.



Kenny Wallace gets race fans pumped up for the 500.


Ryan Newman's No. 39 car on the starting grid.




Jeff Gordon chats with folks in the garage area before the race.






Clint Bowyer hanging out pre-race.





Mark Martin's pole-winning No. 5 Godaddy.com Chevy in the garage.

Joey Logano's No. 20 rolls through.




Dale Earnhardt Jr's second-place No. 88




What to do during pothole repair? Take pix of the Daytona sunset.






It's iPhone quality, but here's a couple minutes of Dale Jr's interview on the Chevy Stage before the race.

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.

The NASCAR State of the Union

President Obama just gave one of the longest State of the Union speeches on record. But even though he spoke for well over 60 minutes and mentioned everything from climate change to national defense, he failed to touch on what my readers care about most - the state of NASCAR in 2010.

I'm no politician. I'm not even a racing expert. But here's my take on the current state of the sport we all love.

Economic Downturn - Ticket sales are down. Souvenir sales have taken a huge hit. Sponsors are bailing. Clearly, NASCAR does not exist in a fiscal vacuum. As the fate of middle America goes, so goes the sport. Like the rest of Americans, race fans are facing job losses, pay cuts, and too much debt. And, as a result, the economics of racing have been adversely affected. NASCAR is trying desperately to adjust to the sport's new consumer reality by continuing last year's trend of discounting ticket prices and offering more manageable payment plans. A move we all applaud.

However, there are many fans I've heard from who are disappointed that the sport's newest weekly TV show will be aired on Showtime ... namely because they don't have the money to pay for the channel. I'm sure the folks at Showtime will do a stand-up job with the new broadcast. However, if a fan has to choose between paying for another cable channel or attending a live race, a live race wins every time.

A Move Toward Populism - The current "My NASCAR" advertising campaign seems to be echoing the recent populist political groundswell. Couple that with the sport's heralded "return to its roots" philosophy and I wouldn't be suprised to see Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown pop up in the next round of commercials declaring NASCAR "the people's sport".

Health Care Reform - Probably the best thing NASCAR can do to promote driver/fan health is figure out a way to keep the cars from flying a la Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards. Time will tell if the recent changes to the Cup car will help keep drivers and spectators safer during Daytona and Talladega. If NASCAR can balance driver safety with good racing, fans will be happy.

Foreign Relations - With Juan Pablo Montoya's impressive Chase finish in 2009, racers from other series and other countries are being taken a lot more seriously in 2010. And with the news that controversial ex-Formula One driver Nelson Piquet Jr. will be making his NASCAR debut during the Daytona ARCA race, the sport is poised to expand its global reach once again.

Sounds Like a Recession-Friendly Deal To Me ...

Bank of America, the Official Bank of NASCAR, is providing fans an opportunity to kick off the 2010 NASCAR season by attending the most prestigious race of the year – the Daytona 500-- for free.

NASCAR fans, like all Americans, have been impacted by the bad economy, travel costs, and lower personal spending funds so Bank of America is providing the opportunity for fans to attend the race free when they show their passion for NASCAR and sign up for NASCAR Banking products with Bank of America. When fans open a NASCAR Checking account and apply for a NASCAR Banking credit card, they can acquire two tickets to the Daytona 500.



The offer is available now on the Bank of America website and will last until Feb. 5th. Right now, you can choose from credit cards featuring these drivers - Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne and Rusty Wallace. Even more drivers will be added later this year.

What Was Good About NASCAR in 2009

Bloggers and fans often take a lot of flack for being too negative. We're quick to criticize the sport we love and the NASCAR powers-that-be don't always appreciate that our sometimes negative comments are usually well-intentioned.

It's human nature to be quick to criticize and slow to praise. And, in looking back on the 2009 NASCAR season, there was plenty that was praiseworthy. Maybe it was a long time coming, but here's my take on a few of the positive developments in 2009 :

Double file restarts "shootout style" - One of the better decisions made by NASCAR this year was establishing double-file restarts for the Cup and Nationwide series. The new rule has made for some exciting late-race green flags. And anything that adds more excitement to a Cup race is welcome indeed.

Driver safety - While there is definitely some tweaking that needs to be done at restrictor plate tracks, the Sprint Cup cars are safer now than ever before. The fact that Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman are walking around in their right minds is proof positive of that. Kudos to NASCAR for their commitment to safe cars and safe racing.

Cheap seats - The continued economic recession did mean one boon to fans in 2009 - cheaper admission to most of the tracks. And, fortunately for us, that low-cost trend is continuing in 2010. Backstretch tickets for the Daytona 500 begin at $55. Add in free parking and that's not such a bad deal for The Great American Race.

NASCAR gets more credit - In recent years, NASCAR has steadily been gaining traction in the widers sports world as a legitimate athletic endeavor. And Jimmie Johnson's historic four-in-a-row championship only added to NASCAR's cred and acceptance among more mainstream audiences. Johnson was named the 2009 Male Athlete of the Year by The Associated Press - the first time a NASCAR driver has won the award.

Hall of Fame Inductees - The inaugural inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame make a fine company indeed. Back in October, NASCAR announced the five members of the first HOF class - Richard Petty, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson. Just thinking about what those five people have meant to the sport gives me chills. And I can't wait for the Hall to open to the public in May 2010.

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"

The Ninth NASCAR Day of Christmas: Ninth Place for Newman

Ryan Newman has come a long way since he and his boss Tony Stewart wrecked during practice for this year's Daytona 500.

Fortunately, unlucky beginnings don't always mean unhappy endings. And Newman ended his season with a ninth-place spot in the points standings - his best ranking since 2005. All in all, The Rocket Man snagged five top-five finishes and 15 top tens - and he did it with the backing of Tony Stewart's fledgling Stewart-Haas Racing team.

But what will likely live forever as Newman's most memorable moment of 2009 won't be his pre-season tangle with Tony or his respectable top 10 points standing. It will be his infamous wreck at Talladega, which caused the fans in the stands and those watching at home to hold their collective breaths and pray that he'd walk away from that U.S. Army car in one piece.

When Newman went airborne during the Nov. 1 race, I and the rest of the fans in attendance experienced a few anxious minutes as we wondered if he was OK. Newman hung upside down for what seemed like forever and then, finally, emergency officals cut him out of his race car and freed the driver from his harrowing position.

After his release from the infield care center, a shaken Newman railed at NASCAR and suggested they take advantage of his engineering degree to help make cars and drivers safer at superspeedways like Dega. The powers-that-be took Ryan up on his offer, and met with the Purdue University grad the very next week.

We'll see in a little more than 50 days if Newman's engineering suggestions were taken under advisement. Let's hope NASCAR listened.

Saturday at Phoenix: Tornados, Rain and Sons of Thunder

This race weekend Saturday turned out to be one heckuva NASCAR news day. There was a big sponsorship announcement for Stewart-Haas, an actual weather event and an on-track storm which warrants a red flag warning for Homestead.

First, Tornados: A major sponsorship deal for the #39 Chevy was announced today at PIR. Tornados, a brand of frozen Mexican convenience food, will be Ryan Newman’s primary sponsor for five Sprint Cup races beginning in 2010. When not serving as a primary, Tornados will take associate sponsor status on the car’s lower-rear quarterpanel. The Tornados paint scheme was also unveiled today at Phoenix International Raceway's Victory Lane.

Second, rain: It may have been brief, but the rain shower in the desert caused the cancellation of the first Cup practice and an unexpected appearance by the jet dryers. As Dale Junior's spotter T.J. Majors said via Twitter earlier today, "Rains 3 times a year and 2 of the 3 are when we are here."

Third, Sons of Thunder: The two lightning rods for NASCAR Nationwide controversy are at it again - and the fans are loving every minute of it. Tonight's dust-up between Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski started with Ham getting into Special K a bit as they raced for position...and it ended with Keselowski returning the favor by sending Denny into the fence (video below).

Although fans were hoping for a Cale Yarborough-style smackdown on pit road, all they got was a war of words. And Hamlin's still talking. About 30 minutes ago, he broadcast via Twitter "Yall are waitin on something aren't ya... Haha." If Hamlin backs up his post-race trash talk, he should be settling his score with Brad on the track at Homestead, which could be just the storyline NASCAR needs. Only time will tell...but so far he's been a man of many words and little action.

Speaking of Sons of Thunder, Kyle Busch, failed to wrap up the Nationwide Championship - thanks to a win by Carl Edwards and a ninth-place finish of his own. But he didn't fail to elude those pesky cameras again. Chalk up another disappearing act for Rowdy.

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.

More NASCAR Country

So a few of the folks who read my post yesterday about country music and NASCAR have their own suggestions as to which country song epitomizes which driver. So for more NASCAR country, read on. Again, feel free to suggest your own ideas. And, for all you members of Junior Nation, don't miss Dale Jr's appearance on tomorrow night's CMA awards show on ABC.

Dale Earnhardt Jr: Apparently I missed an obvious choice for Dale Jr's personal country anthem. A couple of you suggested Rodney Atkins hit "If You're Going Through Hell," not a bad option considering the type of season Junior has had in 2009.

Carl Edwards: Edwards went the wrong direction Sunday. In fact, if the Chase ended today, Edwards wouldn't even make the stage at the awards show in Vegas. Due to Carl's disappointing day at Texas, one Edwards fan decided a good song for Cousin Carl would be "Backwards" by Rascal Flatts.

AJ Allmendinger: Bless AJ's heart. He was arrested before the Talladega race for driving while under the influence of alchohol. Maybe that's why someone suggested AJ could use Kenny Chesney's "Out Last Night" for an anthem - and perhaps an alibi.

Ryan Newman: Newman's mind-bending wreck at Talladega is still being replayed on sports shows and still the topic of many an online discussion. Thus, an appropriate song for Newman might be Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take the Wheel," since that may indeed have been his prayer as he flipped down the track, into the grass and landed upside down. Regardless, Newman must have had some sort of providential help...he walked away from the car after he was finally extracted.

Newman's Wreck Is NASCAR's Catch 22

Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug.

Unfortunately for Ryan Newman, when it comes to Talladega, he's been both.

This spring, Newman got a load of Carl Edwards' car crashing into his windshield before Edwards went airborne into the fence. Yesterday, it was Newman who went flying into Kevin Harvick's windsheild in one scary wreck. It ended with Newman hanging upside down by his saftey belts - and then being cut out of the car before walking away.

Newman was visibly shaken when talking to reporters after exiting the infield care center. And you can't blame him -- he even offered to give NASCAR the benefit of his engineering degree if it would help them make the racing at Dega a bit safer and less free-flying.

And therein lies the dilemma. Lots of fans were bored at Talladega. In the grandstands (for most of the race), all I could hear were folks complaining about the "snoozefest of a race." And to be fair, the single file laps did seem to last forever and a day.

That said, even the most bored of race fans does NOT want to see a wreck like what we saw on Sunday. However, fans d0 want to see racing, passing and bump drafting - which at Talladega leads to flying race cars. It's a Catch 22.

Maybe NASCAR will take Newman up on his offer to help - cause somebody needs to do something. And that something doesn't need to be flattening the curves.