THAT'S MY OPINION - WHAT'S YOURS

HOT OR NOT: SMOKE IN THE LAND OF OZ
Sunday, October 4, 2009, 08:23 PM EST [NASCAR]

GREETINGS FROM SW OKLAHOMA:

WELL FOLKS I DON'T THINK THE LION OR TIN MAN WERE THERE TODAY BUT IT LOOKED LIKE THEY HAD A GREAT TURN OUT FOR THE KANSAS RACE AND THE FANS WERE TREATED TO A VERY GOOD RACE. THERE WERE A FEW CALLS MADE BY NASCAR THAT MADE ME SCRATCH MY HEAD, BUT OVER ALL IT WAS A REALLY GOOD RACE. WHY DO YOU HAVE THE YELLOW COME OUT WHEN A SINGLE CAR RAKES THE WALL AND DOESN'T EVEN THROW ANYTHING OFF THE CAR. ANYWAY THIS IS HOW I SAW THE RACE AND I HOPE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF YOU AGREE.

NOT:

1. PAUL MENARD: FELLOW, WHEN A BETTER DRIVER THEN YOU , LIKE JOEY LAGANO, SPINS OUT IN A CORNER, MAKE A NOTE OF IT AND DON'T TRY TO DRIVE THAT SAME LINE AROUND THE SAME CORNER IN THE SAME WAY 5 LAPS LATER, EVEN THE SCARECROW WITH NO BRAIN WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT.

2. #88 CREW: YES, IT IS A TEAM EFFORT, BUT JR. CAN'T GET OUT OF THE CAR AND CHANGE THE TIRES. HE HAD ALREADY LOST THE LEAD AFTER 41 LAPS SO ONE OR TWO EXTRA SECONDS ON THAT PIT STOP WOULD NOT HAVE MATTERED THAT MUCH AND IT JUST MIGHT HAVE ALLOWED JR. TO CONTINUE ON THE LEAD LAP.

3. MAX PAPIS: WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING 32nd GET OUT OF THE WAY WHEN THE LEAD CARS OVER TAKE YOU AND PASS YOU LIKE YOU ARE SITTING UP ON JACKSTANDS, I MEAN EVEN THE TIN MAN KNOWS THAT, YOUR ACTIONS MAY HAVE BEEN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BIFFLE FINISHING 1st RATHER THEN 3rd.

4. NASCAR OFFICIALS: IF YOU INSIST ON RUNNING YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 43 CARS ON THE TRACK THEN YOU NEED TO SHUT UP AND LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY WILL. YOU SHOULD NEVER PULL A DRIVER DOWN OR WARN HIM JUST BECAUSE HE IS RUNNING TO WIN AND HAPPENS TO NOT BE ONE OF THE CHASE GOLDEN BOYS. KESELOWSKI WAS NOT BEING RECKLESS OR UNSAFE, HE WAS TRYING TO IMPROVE POSITION AND TRYING TO WIN, I THINK THAT IS THE IDEA, AND HE HAS AS MUCH RIGHT TO SPACE ON THAT TRACK AND TO VIE FOR THE WIN AS THE CHASERS.

5. BRIAN VICKERS: I DO BELIEVE THAT THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST WAS RIDING SHOTGUN WITH BRIAN ALL DAY LONG. HE STARTED 12th AND SEEMED TO HAVE PROBLEMS RIGHT FROM THE GET GO, FINALLY THE CAR JUST GAVE UP AND ENDED BRIAN'S MISERY, HIS POOR RUNNING TODAY DROPPED HIM 2 SPOTS IN THE CHASE WHICH WILL PUT EVEN MORE PRESSURE ON THE RED BULL TEAM TO TRY TO COME UP WITH THE MAGIC TO RECLIMB THE CHASE LADDER.



HOT:

5. DENNY HAMLIN: WELL THE LITTLE MUNCHKINS WERE WORKING OVERTIME FOR DENNY THIS WEEK, AFTER A REALLY BAD WEEK LAST WEEK DENNY STARTED 22nd AND USED THAT MUNCHKIN MAGIC TO FINISH 5th TODAY. DENNY RETAINED HIS SPOT RIGHT SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHASE SO ALL IS GOOD FOR THE 11 CAR.

4. JUAN MONTOYA: JUAN STARTED 14th AND HAD TO DEAL WITH A FEW BUMPS ALONG THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD ON HIS WAY TO A 4th PLACE TODAY IN THE LAND OF OZ. BORROWNING THE COURAGE FROM THE LION, JUAN HELD HIS LINE AND IS FIRMLY ENTRENCHED IN THIRD PLACE IN THE CHASE AND EVEN MANAGED TO GAIN POINTS ON THE SECOND PLACE 48 CAR. COGRATS TO JUAN FOR BEING THE ONLY DRIVER TO FINISH IN THE TOP 5 OF THE FIRST THREE CHASE RACES FOR 2009.

3. GREG BIFFLE: GREG BIFFLE HAS TO BE THE GUY WHO GOT THE TIN MAN'S HEART FOR THE RACE THIS WEEK, HE STARTED THE RACE IN ABOUT WICHITA KANSAS AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO EASY TO FLOAT THROUGH THE RACE WITH A "WHO CARES" ATTITUDE, BUT WITH THAT TIN MAN HEART OF HIS HE FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL AND ALONG THE WAY HE LED THE MOST LAPS AND PUT ON A HECK OF A SHOW FOR THE FANS. I THINK A MIS-CALL ON THE LAST PIT STOP MIGHT HAVE MADE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 1st AND THE 3rd PLACE FINISH THAT HE GOT.

2. JEFF GORDON: JEFF STARTED 9th AND HE AND THE CREW HAD TO TOIL ALL DAY TO GET THE CAR RIGHT. I THINK MAYBE GLENDA, THE GOOD WITCH OF THE SOUTH, MIGHT HAVE SPRINKLED A LITTLE OZ DUST IN THE TANK ON THE LAST PIT STOP TO GIVE JEFF THE 2nd PLACE FINISH AND MOVE HIM UP ONE SPOT IN THE CHASE.

1. TONY STEWART: FOLKS HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT TONY WAS OUT AND THAT HE PEAKED TO EARLY, OR THAT THEY WERE RESTING ON THEIR LAURELS, BUT TODAY TONY PROVED THEM WRONG. TONY HAD AN ANGEL RIDING SHOTGUN TODAY, AND AN ANGEL ALWAYS WINS OVER A GOOD WITCH, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO OUTLAST JEFF AFTER THE LAST RESTART FOR THE WIN, THUS ALL IS GOOD TONIGHT IN MUNCHKIN LAND.

FOLKS THAT IS HOW I SAW THE RACE AND I KNOW ALL THE JUNK FROM THE WIZARD OF OZ WAS UNCALLED FOR BUT IF YOU CAN'T HAVE A LITTLE FUN WITH THE WRITING WHAT IS THE USE OF DOING IT. NEXT WEEK IT IS OUT TO SUNNY CALFORNIA WHERE LISA AND KRIS HAVE A CHANCE FOR RINGSIDE SEATS, BUT I THINK I HEARD THAT KRIS HAS A BETTER DEAL IN THE WORKS.

THAT'S MY OPINION - WHAT'S YOURS

GUNAQUAT