HOT AND NOT: THIS WASN'T THE DEGA WE KNOW AND LOVE

GREETINGS FROM SW OKLAHOMA:
WELL, THIS ONE WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, AND THIS IS ONCE MORE A CASE OF WHEN DIFFERENT ISN'T BETTER. DURING MOST OF THE RACE I THOUGHT I WAS SITTING AT A RAILROAD CROSSING WATCHING A TRAIN GO BY.
MUCH PROPS TO RYAN NEWMAN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK HIS MIND ON WHAT THE NEW INSERTED BUMP DRAFTING RULE AND THE SMALLER RESTRICTOR PLATES DID. THEY CREATED A BORING RACE AND DID NOT PREVENT THE BIG ONE NOR DID THEY PREVENT THE CARS FROM GOING AIRBORNE, SO THEY WERE MORE OR LESS A TOTAL BUST.
I WILL MOST LIKELY GET HAMMERED FOR THIS BUT I HAVE TO SAY IT, WHEN DALE EARNHARDT DIED, HE MAY HAVE MADE HIS GREATEST CONTRIBUTATION TO NASCAR RACING, WHEN HE DIED AT DAYTONA IT SHOOK NASCAR RACING TO IT'S VERY CORE AND SENT A SHIVER TO THEIR VERY TOES. IT CAUSED THEM TO STAND UP AND LOOK AT SAFETY FEATURES THAT WERE NOT IN PLACE AT THE TIME, SINCE THAT FATEFUL DAY WE HAVE SEEN THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SAFER BARRIERS, THE HANS DEVICE AND MORE SAFETY BELTS, THE SHOCK ABSORBING FOAM IN THE SIDES OF THE CARS AND STRONGER ROLL CAGES. ALL OF THESE HAVE COMBINED TO SAVE THE LIVES OF DENNY HAMLIN, CARL EDWARDS, KYLE BUSCH, AND TODAY RYAN NEWMAN AND MARK MARTIN. THANK YOU DALE AND THE NASCAR SAFETY TEAM.
THIS IS HOW I SAW THE RACE, YOU WILL SEE A FEW NAMES THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE BUT AFTER READING I HOPE YOU AGREE WITH ME.
NOT:
1. NEW NASCAR RULES: GOOD GRIEF GUYS, YOU CAN NO MORE LEGISLATE SAFETY THEN YOU CAN ANYTHING ELSE, YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF TO DO THE FENCE THING ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TRACK AND BLOCK OFF 10 OR 12 ROWS OF BLEACHERS IN THE CORNERS. AND OF COURSE THE CLOSING OF PIT ROW ON A CAUTION WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE 6 CARS 2 SECONDS AWAY FROM THE COMMITMENT CONE.
2. #16 PIT CREW: LOSING A TIRE COST GREG EARLY IN THE RACE, IT WAS WAY TO EARLY IN THE RACE TO GET IN SO MUCH OF A HURRY THAT YOU LOSE YOUR HEAD, THIS CLOSE TO THE END DON'T START BEING YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY.
3. DENNY HAMLIN: JUST WHEN I START TO THINK THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER FOR DENNY HE GETS SNAKE BIT AGAIN, BEGINNING TO THINK HE NEEDS TO STAY OUT OF THE SWAMP, AND SINCE GIBBS MOTORS DON'T NORMALLY JUST BLOW UP I THINK THE HEAD SHED NEEDS TO LOOK AT IT TO SEE IF IT IS A DRIVER PROBLEM OR AN ENGINE SHOP PROBLEM.
4. BRAD KESELOWSKI: BRAD WAS RACING HARD AND I DON'T FAULT HIM FOR THAT, BUT WHEN YOU ARE THAT CLOSE TO THE WALL IN A GAGGLE OF CARS, THAT ISN'T THE PLACE TO EXCERT YOURSELF, ALL YOU DID WAS TAKE OUT KYLE BUSCH AND MARK MARTIN AND MORE OR LESS HAND THE CHAMPIONSHIP TO JIMMIE JOHNSON.
5. JIMMIE JOHNSON: SORRY J.J. FANS, JIMMIE WAS NOT MUCH OF A RACER TODAY, HE WASN'T EVEN MUCH OF A DRIVER, I THINK THE BEST I CAN GIVE HIM IS HE WAS A PRETTY GOOD CRUISER. YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE SEEN DALE EARNHARDT, RICHARD PETTY, OR EVEN RUSTY WALLACE HIDE OUT IN THE BACK OF THE PACK. JOHNSON'S 8th PLACE FINISH TODAY WAS DUE IN NO PART TO HIS DRIVING ABILITY OR HIS PIT CREW'S GOOD WORK, BUT TO THE BAD LUCK OF OTHER DRIVERS ON THE TRACK.

HOT:
1. JAMIE McMURRAY: JAMIE STARTED THE DAY IN 22nd HOPING JUST TO GET THROUGH THE DAY WITH EVERYTHING STILL ON THE CAR, AND MUCH TO THE LUCKY STARTS OF JAMIE AND AN AWFUL LOT OF DRIVING ABILITY HE COMES OUT A WINNER. THIS SINGLE WIN AT DEGA MAY WELL GO FAR AS FAR AS GETTING HIM A SUCURE RIDE FOR 2010.
2. JOEY LOGANO: JOEY IS LEARNING HIS LESSONS VERY WELL, I THINK MAYBE HE IS READING THAT BOOK THE GUY FROM HOME DEPOT GAVE HIM, AND HE IS LISTENING TO ZIPPY. HE IS LEARNING THAT SOMETIMES YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO GET IT ALL IN ONE BITE, BUT TO BIDE YOUR TIME AND NIBBLE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT.
3. JEFF BURTON: JEFF STARTED 18th AND FINISHED 5th, ONCE AGAIN SHOWING THAT THE "GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT". JEFF RAN TOWARD THE FRONT ALL DAY, WAITING AND THEN POUNCING WHEN HE HAD OPENINGS, MAYBE ONLY MOVING UP 1 OR 2 SPOTS BUT ALWAYS DOING IT IN THE CALM AND COLLECTED WAY AND THOSE SHORT SAFE MOVES BROUGHT HIM FROM 18th to 5th WITH EVERYTING STILL ON THE CAR.
4. ELLIOTT SADLER: DID WE GET A GLIMPSE OF WHAT IS TO COME NEXT YEAR WITH THE FORDS IN THIS STABLE. ELLIOTT STARTED 26 th AND FINISHED 7th, LED A COUPLE OF LAPS AND DODGED THE BIG ONES BOTH TIMES. IT REALLY IS GOOD TO SEE HIM BACK ON TOP EVEN IF IT IS ONLY FOR THIS RACE.
5. DALE EARNHARDT JR. : AFTER THE SEASON THAT DALE HAS HAD I THINK THAT THIS 10th PLACE FINISH MAY HAVE BEEN JUST THE BOOST HE NEEDED, THAT AND THE FACT THAT THE CC THING HAS BEEN SETTLED SO HE KNOWS WHERE AND WITH WHOM HE IS GOING TO BE WORKING NEXT YEAR. THIS STUFF SETTLED AND THE CREW IN PLACE WILL BE JUST WHAT THE 88 TEAMS NEEDS TO HIT THE TRACK RUNNING IN 2010.
NEXT WEEK WE MOVE TO THE LONE STAR STATE AND ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT GO ON AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, LOOKING AT THE WEATHER FORCAST FOR THE DALLAS -FT. WORTH AREA I PREDICT WE WILL SEE TONS OF "COWBOY BOOTS AND SWIMMING SUITS" , ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEA WHO SANG THAT SONG, HERE'S A HINT HE LOVES LUCKENBACH TEXAS.
THAT'S MY OPINION - WHAT'S YOURS
GUNAQUAT