, August 3, 2009, 07:25 PM EST [NASCAR]

GREETINGS FROM SW OKLAHOMA:

WELL TO SAY THE LEAST, IT IS AN EXCITING RACE AND I SUPPOSE THE BEST DRIVER WON. THE RACE BEING RAINED OUT YESTERDAY REALLY DID CAUSE A PROBLEM FOR ME SINCE I DID HAVE TO WORK TODAY, BUT FRIENDS AND FAMILY COVERED THE EARLY PART AND I BROUGHT UP THE REAR, AS NORMAL

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE JUST A SECOND TO SAY TO THE FAMILY OF DENNY HAMLIN, THAT THE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS OF MY FAMILY GOES OUT TO THEM IN THIS TIME OF SORROW, AND WHILE THE WIN TODAY WILL NOT EASE THE PAIN, IT IS A COMFORTING THOUGHT TO KNOW THAT YOUR GRANDMOTHER WAS RIGHT THERE WITH YOU AND SHE COULD NOT BE ANY HAPPIER.

NOW ON TO HOW I AND MY BACKUP CREW SAW THE RACE, I HOPE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF YOU AGREE WITH WHAT I SAW, AND IF YOU DON'T PLEASE CHIME IN WITH HOW YOU SAW IT.



NOT:

1. KYLE BUSCH: "THORN" CONTINUES TO HAVE PROBLEMS, HE STARTED 14TH DUE TO THE RAIN LINEUP AND FINISHED 16th, BUT IN BETWEEN HE RAN ALL OVER THE BACK OF THE PACK , AND FROM LOOKING AT HIS CAR I WOULD SAY HE RAN ALL OF THE WALL AS WELL.

2. DAVID REGAN: NOT PAYING ATTENTION, THIS CLOWN WIPED OUT BOBBY LABONTE, AND THE RESULTING WRECK TOOK OUT A BUNCH OF OTHERS INCLUDING MIKE WALTRIP AND JOEY LAGANO. DAVID YOU HAVE TO WATCH WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU, MAYBE YOU NEED TO RIDE SHOTGUN WITH LABONTE FOR A RACE OR TWO AT LEAST HE CAN SHOW YOU WHAT TO LOOK FOR. I REALLY WONDER IF UPS IS HOPING THAT DALE JARRETT WILL COME OUT OF RETIREMENT.

3. CARL EDWARDS: "THE DUCK" DID NOT FAIR SO WELL TODAY, CARL STARTED IN THE 5th POSITION AND FINISHED A VERY BORING 18th, BY HIS OWN ADMISSION HIS LESS THEN STELLAR PERFORMANCE WAS MUCH MORE HIS FAULT RATHER THEN CAR PROBLEMS OR OTHER DRIVERS. POOR CHOICES LEFT HIM IN BAD TRACK POSITION A GOOD PART OF THE RACE.

4. DALE EARNHARDT JR: JR. STARTED 22nd AND WORKED HIS WAY UP TO 10th AND WAS RUNNING WELL, THEN THE NEXT TIME I LOOKED JR. WAS DROPPING THRU THE FIELD LIKE A ROCK AND ENDED UP 28th.I AM NOT SURE WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE SUDDEN REVERSE, BUT IT SORT OF LOOKED LIKE THE JR. OF OLD, START FAST, RUN GOOD, THE TUBE OUT AT THE END.

5. DAVID STREMME: I HAVE SAID IT BEFORE AND WILL SAY IT AGAIN, THIS GUY NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE CAR AND PUT IN THE CHEAP SEATS TO JUST WATCH THE RACE. IF THEY ALLOW HIM TO STAY IN THE CAR HE WILL EVENTUALLY GET SOMEONE KILLED.

6. ROBBY GORDON: WHEN YOU LET YOUR MOTORBOAT MOUTH OVER LOAD YOUR STEAMBOAT FANNY, YOUR GONNA GET IN TROUBLE, TELLING EVERYONE IN THE FREE WORLD YOU WERE GONNA WRECK STREMME WAS NOT VERY SMART, BESIDES HAVEN'T YOU LEARNED BY NOW THAT THE GUY WHO HITS SECOND IS ALWAYS THE ONE WHO GETS CAUGHT AND IN TROUBLE.

7. DAVID REUTIMANN: SOMETIMES I THINK SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO PREVENT DAVID FROM HAVING A GOOD RACE IF HE WAS THE ONLY CAR IN THE RACE. DAVID HAD A GOOD RUN GOING THEN GOT PLOWED BY DENNY HAMLIN AND FINISHED 29th, DROPPING HIM TO 16th IN THE CHASE AND JUST THAT MUCH FURTHER BACK FROM THE REALLY BIG SHOW.



HOT:

1. DENNY HAMLIN: WELL FINALLY DENNY DID BETTER THEN ALMOST, HE DROVE A VERY AGGRESSIVE RACE WHICH ENDED UP WIPING OUT REUTIMANN AND AMBROSE, BUT I GUESS THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS.

2. JUAN PABLO MONTOYA: JUAN STARTED 10th AND RAN A VERY GOOD RACE, FINISHING SECOND MOVED HIM UP 2 PLACES IN THE CHASE TO 8th, I HAVE AN IDEA THAT IF HE CONTINUES TO IMPROVE THAT HE CAN BE A REAL THREAT IN THE FINAL 12, AND THEN MAYBE FOLKS LIKE ME WILL START TO FORGET THAT HE RAN OPEN WHEEL FIRST.

3. CLINT BOWYER: CLINT STARTED 16th AND HE RAN A HECK OF A RACE, HE LED A BUNCH OF LAPS, AND HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR MESSED UP FENDERS FROM AN EARLIER RUN-IN HE MIGHT WELL HAVE HELD OFF HAMLIN AND HAVE GOTTEN THE WIN. CLINT NEEDS TO MAKE UP 115 POINTS TO GET TO THE CHASE AND I THINK HE MIGHT JUST DO IT. NOT BAD FOR A GUY WHO STARTED THE SEASON WITH BRAND NEW EVERYTHING.

4. SAM HORNISH JR.: WOW, WHERE DID THIS GUY COME FROM. SAM HAD A SUPER RUN TODAY, HE STARTED 29th AND I HAVE TO SAY " ALL THE BREAKS CAME HIS WAY." THIS WAS SAM'S BEST RUN TO DATE IN NASCAR AND HERE IS HOPING IT IS JUST A GLIMPSE OF GOOD THINGS TO COME.

5. KASEY KAHNE: THE "BUD MAN" IS COMING TO LIFE IN THE LATE STAGES OF THE 2009 RUN. I THINK HIS SPEAKING HIS PIECE IN THE GARAGE AND TO THE MEDIA SHOWS THAT HE IS MATURING AND BECOMING THE LEADER THE BUD TEAM NEEDED, LOOK FOR ANOTHER WIN OR TWO BEFORE THE END AND KASEY WILL BE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT BEFORE IT IS OVER.

6. JIMMIE JOHNSON: WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR THIS GUY TO HAVE A BAD RACE, HE WAS 3 LAPS DOWN, HAD TO CHANGE HALF THE JUNK IN THE MOTOR AND WAS, FOR ALL PRACTICIAL PURPOSES OUT OF THE RACE, AND ENDS UP IN 13th PLACE. I THINK THAT IF THERE HAD BEEN 10 MORE LAPS THAT DENNY WOULD HAVE HAD ANOTHER "ALMOST" AND JOHNSON WOULD HAVE HAD HIS 4th WIN OF THE SEASON.

7. TONY STEWART: TONY STARTED 43rd AND HAD WHAT COULD BEST BE DESCRIBED AS " A TANK" DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE RACE. SO ONCE AGAIN GOOD DRIVING AND EXTRA HARD WORK IN THE PITS, AND MOST LIKELY A LITTLE LUCK, ALLOWED TONY TO FINISH 10th AND RETAIN THE LEAD IN THE CHASE. JUST LIKE I SAID WITH J.J., HAD THERE BEEN ANOTHER 10 LAPS, I AM PRETTY SURE TONY WOULD HAVE ENDED UP WITH AT LEAST A TOP 5 AND MAYBE JUST MAYBE A REPEAT OF THE GET THE POLE, CRASH YOUR CAR, START FROM THE BACK, WIN THE RACE DEAL THAT HE HAD A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.



WELL FOLKS THAT IS HOW I SAW THE RACE, JUST WISH I COULD HAVE SEEN IT ON SUNDAY, MONDAY IS SUCH A NON-RACE DAY. HOPE YOU ENJOYED MY VIEW OF THE RACE AND IF NOT CHIME IN A LITTLE AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT.

THAT'S MY OPINION - WHAT'S YOURS

GUNAQUAT