HOT & NOT - GEEZ, RAIN AND FUEL MILEAGE AGAIN
Sunday, August 16, 2009, 09:05 PM EST [NASCAR]

GREETINGS FROM SW OKLAHOMA:

WELL, EXCEPT FOR GUESSING WHO MIGHT RUN OUT OF GAS TODAY, YOU CAN'T SAY IT WAS A REAL EXCITING RACE, IT WASN'T BAD BUT NOT ONE WHERE YOU HAD TO SIT ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT FOR.

JR. FANS GOT SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT DURING THE RACE NOT JUST DURING THE DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS, AND JOEY LAGANO AND SAM HORNISH JR. SHOWED THAT THEY DID IN FACT DESERVE TO BE IN NASCAR.

ALSO IT PROVED THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER BELIEVE A THING THAT A WEATHER MAN SAYS. THIS FUEL MILEAGE THING IS GETTING OUT OF HAND, MAYBE NASCAR SHOULD START PUTTING IN A REQUIRED CAUTION WITH 10 OR 15 LAPS TO GO, THAT WOULD PUT AN END TO THIS FUEL MILEAGE JUNK AND WE WOULD SEE SOME GOOD OLD-FASHIONED DIRT TRACK SCRAMBLING AT THE END OF THE RACES.

THIS IS HOW I SAW THE RACE AND I HOPE THAT A FEW OF YOU SAW IT MORE OR LESS THE SAME WAY, IF NOT TELL US WHAT YOU SAW DIFFERENT, IT WON'T MEAN THAT I AM WRONG OR YOU ARE RIGHT JUST HOW DIFFERENT FOLKS SAW THE RACE.

NOT:

1. CHAD KNAUS: I GUESS TODAY PROVES THAT CHAD IS NOT INVINCIBLE, HIS MISCALL ON PITTING FOR FUEL CAUSED THE MOST DOMINANT CAR TO COAST IN FOR A 33 rd PLACE FINISH AND DROPPED JIMMIE JOHNSON TO THIRD IN THE CHASE. THIS MISTAKE DID NOT COST JIMMIE A LOT BUT CHAD KNOWS JIMMIE IS UNEASY WITH THIS TYPE OF THING AND IN THIS CASE HE NEEDS TO LISTEN TO THE DRIVER.

2. ALAN GUSTAFSON: JUST LIKE HIS HMS FELLOW CREWCHIEF, ALAN MADE THE CALL OR DIDN'T MAKE THE CALL, EITHER WAY IT COST MARK MARTIN BIG TIME. MARK RAN THE BIGGEST PART OF THE RACE IN THE TOP 3 TO 5 SPOTS ONLY TO FINISH 31st BECAUSE HE RAN OUT OF GAS. THIS MISTAKEALSO DROPPED HIM 1 SPOT IN THE CHASE TO 12th , AND NOW I HAVE TO THINK THAT RATHER THEN STANDING ON THE BUBBLE HE IS JUST HANGING ON TO THE EDGE OF IT WITH BOTH HANDS.

3. ROBBY GORDON: HIT THE WALL BLEW A TIRE AND THE REST OF HIS DAY ALL IN ONE FELL SWOOP. HE STARTED 24th AND FINISHED 37th, SOME FOLKS WOULD SAY HE IS SPENDING TO MUCH TIME ON QUALIFING.

4. PAUL MENARD: PAUL GOT THE LEAD ON A CAUTION AND LOST IT BEFORE HE WAS COMPLETELY ACROSS THE START-FINISH LINE ON THE RESTART. HE IS THE POSTERBOY FOR THE FACT THAT WHILE "DADDY'S MONEY" CAN BUY YOU ARIDE IT CAN NOT BUY TALENT OR ABILITY.

5. KURT BUSCH: KURT SEEMED TO BE RUNNING A LITTLE TO MUCH ON THE CAUTIOUS SIDE FROM THE START OF THE RACE, THEN HE CLIPPED DAVID REGAN AND THEY BOTH WENT SPINNING, BUT KURT TOOK THE BRUNT OF THE DAMAGE AND SPENT A BUNCH OF LAPS IN THE GARAGE. THIS MISTAKE COST KURT 2 POSITIONS IN THE CHASE. HE IS STILL SITTING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE BUT DOES NOT NEED ANY MORE RACES LIKE TODAY.

6. KEVIN HARVICK: FOR THE SECOND WEEK IN A ROW KEVIN'S MOUTH HAS GOTTEN HIM ON THE DOWN SIDE OF THE HOT OR NOT. HAVING PROBLEMS IS BAD ENOUGH AND CAUSES ENOUGH STRESS ON THE TEAM, BUT TO THEN HAVE THE DRIVER SAY THAT IT IS NO MORE THEN WE DESERVE, IS JUST TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR. I THINK KEVIN MAY BE TRYING TO GET MR. CHILDRESS TO FIRE HIM SO HE DOES NOT HAVE TO HONOR THE LAST YEAR OF HIS CONTRACT AND CAN TRY TO GET ON WITH STEWART-HASS RACING.

HOT:

1. BRIAN VICKERS: FINALLY BRIAN WAS ABLE TO PUT ALL THE GOOD STUFF TOGETHER AT ONE TIME AND WIN A RACE, BRIAN'S LAST WIN WAS IN 2006 (I THINK) AND HE IS MORE REMEMBERED FOR TAKING OUT JIMMIE JOHNSON AND DALE EARNHARDT TO WIN THE RACE THEN ANYTHING ELSE. CONGRATS TO BRIAN A WELL DESERVED WIN.

2. JEFF GORDON: JEFF SHOWED THE STYLE AND ABILITIES TODAY THAT HAVE BROUGHT HIM ALL OF HIS CHAMPIONSHIPS. HE DROVE HARD ENOUGH TO STAY WELL WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE, BUT SMART ENOUGH TO KEEP THE CAR ALL IN ONE PIECE AND ENOUGH FUEL IN THE CAR TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE WITH THE MOTOR STILL RUNNING.

3. #88 RACING TEAM: THERE IS NO WAY TO SAY JR. DID THIS, OR McGREW DID THIS OR THE PIT GUYS DID THIS, IT WAS A TOTAL TEAM THING START TO FINISH. McGREW BUILT THE CAR AND MADE THE RIGHT CALL, EVEN IF JR. WSN'T SURE IT WAS RIGHT, THE PIT CREW MADE NO MISTAKES IN THE PITS AND JR. KEPT THE CAR OFF THE WALL AND DROVE THE WHEELS OFF OF IT.

4. CARL EDWARDS: "THE DUCK" KEPT HIS DRIVER IN THE GROOVE ALL DAY TODAY AND OUT OF TROUBLE. CARL DODGED A COUPLE OF CLOSE ONES THEN PUSHED HARD AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME. THIS AND KURT BUSCH'S BAD LUCK MOVED CARL UP 2 SLOTS IN THE CHASE. COULD A DRIVER WITH NO WINS REALLY WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP?

5. SAM HORNISH JR.: WITH A 4th AND A 5th IN 2 OF THE LAST 3 RACES, SAM IS PROVING THAT HE BELONGS IN NASCAR. ALSO THE ABILITY TO REBOUND AFTER THE CRASH LAST WEEK SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT SAM'S WANT TO MAKE IT IN NASCAR. HE IS STILL A LONG WAY FROM THE CHASE BUT SAM MOVED UP 2 PLACES IN THE STANDINGS, AND THIS IS A GOOD SIGN FOR THE FUTURE.

6. JOEY LAGANO : THIS KID IS MAKING IMPROVMENTS EVERY WEEK AND GETTING BETTER AND BETTER, WHILE STILL APPEARING TO BE HUMBLED BY THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE. I AM STILL NOT SURE THAT " HE IS THE GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD" BUT FOLKS HE AIN'T BAD AND IS GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME.

GUYS AND GALS THIS IS HOW I SAW THE RACE TODAY, IF I MISSED ANYTHING TELL ME, AND IF I SAW SOMETHING THAT YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT ALSO. IF THE LORD IS WILLING AND THE CREEK DON'T RISE, I'LL SEE YA NEXT WEEK RIGHT HERE ABOUT 7:05.



THAT'S MY OPINION - WHAT'S YOURS

GUNAQUAT