HOT OR NOT - FUN IN THE IRISH HILLS

GREETINGS FROM SW OKLAHOMA:

WELL RUNNING A LITTLE LATE WITH THIS BUT STILL UP BY MONDAY NOON. I THOUGHT THE RACE WAS PRETTY COTTON PICKIN' GOOD, FOR ONE IN YANKEE LAND. I DID THINK THE TNT GUYS DID A MUCH BETTER JOB THIS PAST SUNDAY, BUT THEN I LOVE LISTENING TO KYLE PETTY, I JUST WISH THEY HAD DALE JARRETT TO GO WITH HIM. HERE IS HOW I SAW THE RACE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD WHATEVER I MISSED.

NOT

1. MARCUS AMBROSE: FOR SUCH A WHIZ-BANG ENDING TO LAST YEAR MARCUS IS SURE GETTING KILLED THIS SEASON. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANYTHING BIG JUST A TON OF LITTLE THINGS THAT KEEP FOULING HIM UP.

2. MAX PAPIS: THIS GUY IS SUCH A WASTE OF MONEY AND EQUIPMENT, HE BARELY GETS STARTED BEFOE HE HEADS FOR THE TRAILER. I REALIZE HE MAY NOT BE THE GUY MAKING THAT CALL, BUT HE IS THE ONE THAT THE PUBLIC SEES.

3. RED BULL RACING: GOOD GRIEF, IF YOU CAN'T OR WON'T RACE WITH EACH OTHER HOW IN THE WORLD ARE YOU GONNA RACE WITH THE REST OF THE GUYS. I UNDERSTAND THAT LAST WEEK RED BULL HAD A "COME TO JESUS" MEETING WITH THEIR F1 GUYS, SO MAYBE ONE WITH THE NASCAR GUYS IS DUE NOW.

4. A.J. ALMENDINGER: SON, YOU CAN'T EVEN KEEP YOUR CAR STRAIGHT ON THE TRACK AND YOUR TRYING TO BLOCK HORNISH, WHO IS GOING PAST YOU LIKE YOUR UP ON JACKS, I THINK IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO GET OUT OF NASCAR AND GO DO CROSS COUNTRY RACING IN THE PAINTED DESERT.

5. JAMIE McMURRY: JAMIE HAD A GREAT STARTING POSITION YESTERDAY, BUT LIKE MY FARMVILLE GAME, HE WAS JUST OUT OF SYNC, THE WHOLE DAY. JAMIE DIDN'T LOSE ANY POSITIONS IN THE STANDINGS SO I FIGURE ALL THAT GOT HURT WAS HIS FEELINGS AND THAT SHOULDN'T LAST TO LONG.


HOT

5. TONY STEWART: WELL, WE KNOW THAT IT IS THE MONTH OF JUNE, BUT THEN WE WOULD KNOW THAT EVEN WITHOUT THE HOT WEATHER OR A CALENDER, HOW? BECAUSE SMOKE IS PICKING UP THE PACE FOR HIS ANNUAL SUMMER RUN ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP. TONY STARTED TODAY ABOUT MIDPACK AND HAULED IT TO THE FRONT AND STAYED THERE PRETTY MUCH ALL DAY. THE BOYS BETTER GET READY TO START SEEING A BUNCH OF TONY'S REAR BUMPER IF THINGS GO AS THEY HAVE IN THE PAST.

4. JEFF GORDON: JEFF HAD ANOTHER OF WHAT I GUESS YOU COULD CALL A SO-SO DAY. HE STARTED 6th AND STAYED PRETTY MCUH CLOSE ALL DAY BUT LIKE SO MANY TIMES ALREADY THIS YEAR, HE WAS JUST 2 OR 3 SPOTS SHORT OF THE WIN.

3. KURT BUSCH: KURT STARTED ON THE POLE AND WAS NEVER TO FAR AWAY ALL DAY, I DON'T THINK HIS ABILITY HAS IMPROVED ANY BUT HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHERS IS MAKING THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM LOOK UP TO HIM AND WANT TO DO BETTER FOR HIM, AND FOR ME THAT IS THE COOLEST PART OF THE WHOLE DEAL. I SO THINK BEFORE THIS IS OVER KURT IS GOING TO BE THE NUMBER 1 GUY AT THE END OF THE SEASON.

2. KASEY KAHNE: WELL, IT WASN'T A WIN BUT KASEY WORKED HARD FOR HIS GUYS, JUST AS THEY WORKED HARD FOR HIM. IT IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF " DON'T WORRY ABOUT NEXT SEASON, GET IT FOR YOURSELVES TODAY".

1. DENNY HAMLIN: I'M REALLY GETTING TIRED OF WRITING NICE THINGS ABOUT THIS KID, BUT HE KEEPS DESERVING THEM SO I GUESS I WILL, DENNY GETS MORE IMPRESSIVE EVERY WEEK, AND NOT BECAUSE OF WINS OR TOP 5 FINISHES, BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY HE ENCOURAGES AND PRAISES THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM. HIS ATTITUDE MAKES THE PEOPLE ATTEMPT THE IMPOSSIBLE JUST TO MAKE HIM LOOK GOOD.

LIKE I SAID THE RACE START TO FINISH WAS PRETTY GOOD, BUT THE BEST RACING DURING THE WHOLE DAY WAS THE LAST 10 LAPS FOR 7th PLACE, BETWEEN JR. AND JEFF BURTON. THAT WAS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF HARD, NOSE TO TAIL, CLEAN RACING I HAVE SEEN IN AWHILE. WHATEVER I MISSED PLEASE TAG IT AT THE BOTTOM IN THE COMMENT SECTION. TILL NEXT WEEK, SO LONG , BE SAFE, STAY FREE.

THAT'S MY OPINION - WHAT'S YOURS
GUNAQUAT