Your news snippets from the NASCAR world from yours truly, the Race Kitten.

With only eight races to go before the chase is officially underway, Kyle Busch is in the lead points standings with 6 wins this season. If there were twelve Kyle Busch’s, he’d probably be in all top twelve spots.

 At last weekend’s race, Martin Truex Jr. got dicked…I mean docked 150 driver and 150 owner points for bringing an illegal car to Daytona. Truex’s car failed an initial inspection at Daytona when its roof did not conform to the approved template. This most likely ruined any chances for him to make the chase, putting him 18th in the standings.

In other Dale Earnhardt Inc. happenings, Aric Armorola signed with DEI to drive the #8 car full-time while Mark Martin will drive for Hendrick Motorsports. Didn’t Mark Martin say he was going to retire in 1995? “It’s hard to step away from it,” he says.

Tony Stewart will end his contract with Joe Gibbs racing a year early. He will announce at the end of this week what his future plans entail. Maybe world domination?

 This weekend’s Nationwide and Sprint Cup Races at Chicago Land Speedway will be the first nighttime race of the season with their new lights installed. This is the 10th track on the NASCAR schedule with the ability to host night races. Get your nighttime JLo sunglasses on!

 At this weekends Chicago Land race, Carl Edwards will showcase a special paint scheme of at least 8,000 Office Depot associates signatures from around the world.  “I’m excited to have so many Office Depot associates represented on the race car in such a creative and personal way,” said Edwards. I’m sure those signatures will be just as readable as the 70,000 fan signatures that Dale Jr. will try and squeeze on his car for the Talladega race.

Former NASCAR driver, Hermie Sadler signed a contract to commentate for TNA (Total Non-stop Action) Wrestling. “I am a longtime pro wrestling fan and a true supporter of TNA Wrestling; I really believe in the product. It has been a lot of fun, truly an enjoyable experience working with the superstars of TNA Wrestling,” he says. How about he just commentates the “Kyle Busch vs. Whomever Kyle Busch Pisses Off That Week” matches every week?

 Denny Hamlin says he and is team is just not performing up to potential. “It’s kind of the place where I thought we would be or maybe a little bit worse than where we’d be. We’re in the Top 10 in points, which is important for us. Right now we’ve just got to try to get a little bit more secure.” “I think we have a C-plus,” he said. “A lot of guys would love to be where we’re at right now, but I feel as a team I expect a little bit more from myself and from the team. They’re doing everything they can. If you throw luck and everything in it we get a C-plus. Based on performance I feel like we’re a B-plus or so.”

Way to boost the confidence of your team Denny! Maybe you should ask Dario Franchitti how he feels about it?

 

“Not to take anything away from (Joe Gibbs Racing), but a monkey could win in that car.” - Clint Bowyer, reacting to Denny Hamlin’s win in the Nationwide race.

Bitter much Clint?

 Chip Ganassi wants a “Chase or Bust” from driver Juan Pablo Montoya.

Maybe that monkey that Clint Bowyer was talking about could drive for Montoya?

 

Jimmie Johnson is leaning towards McCain for President. “I have to think McCain. I think our core fan base being strong Republicans like they are, that’s going to be the first choice. I also think his credits in history and what he’s done for our country, certainly for our country, a lot of those things will be fully noticed by our fan base,” said Johnson at a reception before addressing the National Press Club. “My wife and I have an apartment in New York City, and there are plenty of Democrats running around the city who are junkies for NASCAR. It’s a big sport, it really is.”

Ironically enough, Barack Obama is suddenly interested in NASCAR and will supposedly be campaigning at a future event because that’s where the “white working-class votes are.”

In the words of Austin Powers…”Riiiiiiiiiiiiight“

If one of the 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers wins the Coke Zero 400 race at Daytona International Speedway on July 5, then everyone will get a FREE Coke Zero.

 

13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers are sponsored by Coca Cola Inc: Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Mark Martin, Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler, Jamie McMurray, Bobby Labonte, Michael Waltrip, Clint Bowyer and David Ragan.

 

Terry Labonte, is also considered part of Coca-Cola racing. He is the driver for the #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge who is a substitute for Coca-Cola Racing Family member Kyle Petty, who broadcasts for TNT.

 

Thanks to the “Taste of Victory” program, if one of the 13 drivers wins the race go to CokeZero.com between July 5 through July 13 and follow the instructions to receive a coupon for a free 20-ounce bottle of Coke Zero.

 

“It’s pretty common for the winning driver to spring for a round of drinks after the race, but we’re taking things to a whole new level for the inaugural Coke Zero 400,” said Tony Stewart. “It would be pretty cool to come through for race fans with free Coke Zero. I hope to be in Victory Lane Saturday night telling millions of people that drinks are on me.”

 

How about a beer too Tony?

Let’s try to sift through the mess that is contract extensions, driver swaps and musical cars….

 

Confirmed Driver Status’

 

Greg Biffle¹ has confirmed he has re-signed a 3 year contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing. “Certainly I’m very excited to announce that we’ve done a multiyear extension with Roush Fenway,” said Biffle. “3M has stepped up, they had a multiyear deal to start with, but they came and re-upped, so to speak, recommitted to being on the car for those races. It was a long process, I weighed, certainly, all of my options out and it felt like the 16 car is where I really wanted to spend my next three years driving. A lot of things went into making a decision on where I was going to be. One was Ford’s commitment to the racing program and supporting us technologically … ” his teammate, Carl Edwards has re-signed until 2011.

Elliot Sadler has signed with Gillette-Evernham Motorsports until 2010.

 

Petty Enterprises has signed Bobby Labonte through 2012.

 

Casey Mears announced and confirmed he will leave Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the 2008 season.

 

Aric Almirola will drive the No. 8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc. full-time next season.

 

“I’ve signed up with R.C.R. [Richard Childress Racing] for three more years,” Clint Bowyer said Friday at New Hampshire International Speedway. “You’ve got to live up to what you did last time, and there is a little bit more pressure,” he said. “But it is what it is.”

 

On that same note, Richard Childress Racing has added a fourth Sprint Cup car to the team, but it is yet unconfirmed who will drive the machine.

 

 

Unconfirmed Driver Status’

 

Reed Sorenson driver for Chip Ganassi Racing which will leave the #41 car open for a driver. Sorenson is mulling a contract extension, but nothing is currently set in stone, “I expect everything will be worked out in the next week or two,” he says. Sorenson is not the only suffering team as Juan Pablo Montoya and Sorenson have already changed crew chiefs this season, the third driver Dario Franchitti has also had his share of trials and tribulations. “I’m not happy running where we’ve been at and, hopefully, everybody else here isn’t either. As a driver I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished a lot of what I want to do. I want to win races and contend for championships.” Sorensen says. “I still love racing. I feel honored to be here and lucky to do this as a living. Most of the people in this garage are huge competitors and when you’re not challenging for a good finish, it definitely wears on you. I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot, but I feel now it’s time we accomplished some things at this level.”

 

Martin Truex Jr. could possibly leave DEI to replace Ryan Newman at Penske racing. Ryan Newman could go to the Haas CNC team that Tony Stewart will possibly run in which Newman could be a co-owner and driver.

 

It is rumored that Mark Martin is leaving DEI driving for HMS for Casey Mears’ former #5 car so Aric Armoriola can race the #8 car full-time. The Mark Martin move makes sense to some fans due to his experience with driving some NNS races for the team.

 

In the same turn, there was also the rumored route that Mark Martin will leave DEI and drive for HMS (Casey Mears former #5 car) part-time with Brad Keselowski so they can slowly wean Keselowski in the Sprint Cup. Some find it hard to grasp Martin driving full-time because he enjoys doing part time.

 

Another rumored possibility is that Casey Mears is going to Richard Childress Racing to fill in the fourth car that was reported to be made for Sprint Cup racing. Some find it hard to see Mears fitting in with Burton and Harvick though. Other opening for Mears could include DEI where Truex Jr. left off or Ganassi where Sorenson left off. His competition for any of these possibilities could come from Scott Wimmer, David Stremme or Reed Sorenson. Confused yet?

 

 

Most of the rumored speculations are revolved around Tony Stewart² ending his contract with JGR early, (Chevrolet wants to help buy Tony out of his contract with JGR) to join Haas CNC racing with 50% ownership. Mind you, he is looking for ownership somewhere so the possibility is not out of the realm. The other unconfirmed possibility is Tony Stewart ending his contract one year early to go to Hendrick Motorsports. The big question is though, would NASCAR really allow the powerhouse that is Gordon, Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. becomes an even bigger powerhouse with Stewart in the mix? It would become a monopoly, like Microsoft is to the technical world.

 

If Tony leaves JGR, the next rumored possibility is that young racing phenomenon, Joey Logano will take his place and will take his sponsor (Home Depot) to which Home Depot will be offered a cheaper deal with Logano then what they had with Stewart.

 

There’s no denying that Stewart is looking for a position where he is owning a race team/cars. Stewart has not confirmed any speculations. I do predict that an announcement in regards to Tony’s decision will come sooner than later with the situation of Casey Mears leaving HMS and the speculations and rumors flying rapid more than ever around what Tony will do.

 

It is a tossup as to what will really happen, It will unquestionably be fascinating to see how the soap opera part of NASCAR plays out. Hopefully the soap opera realm of this NASCAR story will not trickle over and effect the performance and driving statistics of these driver’s playing the “musical cars” game.

1. Photo from AP, Modified by Kitten [↩]
2. Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR, Modified by Kitten [↩]

I took a poll on Nascar.com in what was the most surprising thing that happened in the Nationwide Series race yesterday afternoon, and since “all the wrecks” was not an option, I had to go with the wreck that Mark Martin caused on the last few laps with Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski for the win.

I would of personally loved to see Jeff Burton and Mark Martin race each other competitivly, but Jeff Burton suffered an engine failure mid-race.

After the race they interviewed Carl Edwards and he claimed, “I just can’t hate Mark Martin” and Mark Martin said “I hated that…” (in regards to causing the wreck.) Well I just can’t hate Carl Edwards, not after seeing that ESPN cover shot. I’m currently in therapy trying to get that georgous, hot, hot, hot, photo shoot out of my head.

Excuse me while I go grab some ice.

Look for a little more in-depth reviews in the future, just like my brain, and this website, it’s a work in progress.

The Sprint Cup Race starts at 3:30 PM EST on Fox. My guess for a win is Carl Edwards. He is on fire this season, not to mention very nice on the eyes! Did I already mention the ESPN cover photo yet?

It’s Vegas Baby!

In a pre-interview with Carl Edwards the issue of Mark Martin wrecking him in the Nationwide Series Race in Las Vegas yesterday afternoon came back up seeing that Carl Edwards is starting 2nd and Mark Martin is starting 3rd in the Sprint Cup race today. It turns out that Mark Martin told him team to not overly celebrate after yesterday’s win because he hated winning that way. I was wondering why he wasn’t doing any burnouts, or looked happy for that matter.

I love Mark Martin! Not in that way, because I am probably young enough to be his daughter, maybe even his grandaughter, but I think he’d make a great “garage mother” (a NASCAR version of den mother.) He’s got great sportmanship, how can you not like him?

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