If my foreclosed home was auctioned to a bank and I had ten days to leave I'd look like this too.

Welcome to the wonderful month of May, race fans.  Does everybody recall how important this month is?

If you’re a fan of anything that speeds on four wheels and don’t know how important May is your dunce cap is in the mail.

Duh, it’s Indianapolis 500 month!  So exciting, especially down in these parts of Indianapolis.  Radio stations are already buzzing with excitement and my tickets are on my refrigerator waiting for race day.

However, we can’t neglect this week’s racing headlines even if they involve the likes of broken down, drowned out in bankruptcy probably feels like crawling into a hole and dying former drug addicted driver.

Yeah, Jeremy Mayfield is in the news yet again and hopefully for the last time.

» Continue reading “Garage Gossip: It’s May So Who Cares About Jeremy Mayfield…”

It's Denny Time. (photo courtesy Nascar.com)

Tony Stewart, what were you thinking?

We all shook our heads when, during last year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup, the news broke that Tony Stewart had fired his crew chief Darian Grubb.  Tony was very clear that he felt they were not a championship caliber team when he barely squeaked into the Chase.  I’m sure that Darian had the news he was being let go a lot sooner than we did.

What did Darian do?  He set up the car that won 5 of 10 Chase races and got his soon to be former boss his third championship.  Not too bad for a lame duck crew chief.

Tony Stewart’s loss was Denny Hamlin’s gain.

» Continue reading “Denny and Darian 1: Tony Stewart 0″

Fire broke out for the second time in less than a year at JGR on Tuesday. (photo credit: WCNC Charlotte)

For the second time in less a year, fire broke out at Joe Gibbs Racing late Tuesday afternoon in Huntersville, NC as reported by local Channel 36 in Charlotte, NC.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported but several employees were treated at the shop for possible smoke inhalation.  No employees were transported from the scene.

According to reports, fire broke out from a piece of equipment in the machine shop, possibly a laser cutter.

On February 4, 2011 a flash fire erupted at the same shop and damaged a team engine dynamometer which measures horsepower.  No injuries were reported from the incident.

Joe Gibbs Racing is home to drivers Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano who all compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

It's Over, Brian.

Dean Wormer will no longer influence NASCAR chairman Brian France.

NASCAR has had a recent history of secretly fining drivers for speaking their mind.  Ryan Newman was fined in 2009 for critical statements involving the “boring” racing at Talledega and the new COT car.  Denny Hamlin was secretly fined for speaking out on Twitter against seemingly “fixed” late race caution flags.  Brad Keselowski is the most recent recipient of a secret fine.  He was fined in 2011 for calling NASCAR’s impeding 2012 move to fuel injection a “disaster.”

» Continue reading “NASCAR Announces No More Double Secret Probation”

Joey is talking to a sports shrink. Have you called yours lately? (photo credit: NASCAR)

Looks like we’re going to see a few trends this year in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series and one of those happens to be drivers seeing and consulting with sports psychologists.

The newest driver added to the list:  Joey Logano.

So correct me if I’m wrong but it seems that two of the three drivers at JGR are seeing one now, right?  Yes, I am correct but I still think the one that needs the most help needs more than a sports shrink. 

Are you listening, Little Shrub?

Joey apparently is seeing the same sports psychologist that Denny Hamlin is currently consulting with according to USA Today who reported Logano’s meetings with sports psycologist Bob Rotella.

It goes without saying, however, that Joey recommends seeing a sports psycholgist to anybody.  Maybe I’ll give it a whirl sometime:

I was against it at first, thinking, ‘I don’t need a shrink…But it’s not about that, it’s confidence. It’s not that you’re screwed up in the head. It’s not like you’re a weirdo. I think it’s good for anybody. I have a whole new outlook. I’d recommend it to anybody. (Joey Logano via USA Today)

In other racing news it’s been confirmed that Robbie Loomis has been let go of his duties at Richard Petty Motorsports who has spent the past six years as RPM’s chief operating officer.  I hate seeing this man out of a job because he kicked some major butt with Jeff Gordon back in 2001 and won twenty-three races in five years with him.

No joke, these really do exist for NASCAR fans.

Okay, people.  Christmas is approaching (in nine days but who’s counting)!  Have you finished your shopping for that die-hard NASCAR fan such as myself?

Just in case you haven’t and were wondering what NASCAR and racing-related gifts rock our faces off this holiday season look no further than right here at Lipstick and Lugnuts.

In salute to our top ten drivers in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup we have something for every, single race fan on our Christmas shopping list. 

» Continue reading “10 NASCAR Christmas Gifts That Sort Of Don’t Suck”

Shameless plug to remind everybody that Tony Stewart is the 2011 Sprint Cup champion. Oh yeah, Darian Grubb is on the left.

The 2012 crew chief shuffle continues this morning as we have probably the biggest shift in crew head honchos and it involves none other than Darian Grubb, formerly of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Darian Grubb is officially a crew chief with a home as of this morning.  JGR announced this morning that Darian will replace Mike Ford as crew chief for Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx team.

Don’t forget:  Darian helped my favorite driver, Tony Stewart, win the 2011 Sprint Cup so this is more than likely most welcome news in the Denny Hamlin stable as he’s surely seen his up’s and down’s this past 2011 season.

On the official announcement from JGR, Grubb was all smiles and very excited to be joining his new team:

I’m thrilled to join Joe Gibbs Racing…The chance to work with Denny is something I’m excited about. When you sit down with Joe and J.D. Gibbs, you can’t help but be excited about this opportunity and the team aspects of JGR. There is no question about the level of support you get here and I’m looking forward to working with everyone across the entire organization. (Darian Grubb via Fox Sports)

So now we can all stop wondering where in the heck Darian Grubb would land (I didn’t really care) and move onto more important issues:  like where and how I’ll be partying all next week for my birthday.

Happy 31st Birthday, Denny Hamlin! (photo credit: www.zimbio.com)

Okay, ladies.  It’s Friday and today is a great day for more reasons than one.

Here’s some special birthday eye candy for you!  We have a birthday boy that turns thirty-one today and that happens to be Denny Hamlin!

Not going to lie, even I think he’s easy on the eyes but that’s not all he has going for him.  Bet you didn’t know his real name wasn’t Denny, did you?  His given birth name is James Dennis Alan Hamlin.  Even I didn’t know this until today.

Denny started racing when he was just seven years old and currently has seventeen wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series!

So join me when I say “rawr” and give Denny our best birthday wishes!

» Continue reading “You Say It’s Your Birthday: Happy Birthday, Denny Hamlin!”

Clint Bowyer picks up a win for Richard Childress Motorsports. Too bad he'll be driving for Michael Waltrip next season.

NASCAR!  You need to figure out how to get the racing back at the plate tracks.  This two-car draft racing style is absolutely ridiculous.  I feel like I’m watching some weird NASCAR/2-man bobsled hybrid.  Let me point out the main flaw of the 2-car draft.  This should be so painfully obvious to the powers that be….

THE FIELD IS 43 DRIVERS!

This means that someone is left without a dance partner from the beginning of the race.  That poor driver, Denny Hamlin in today’s fiasco, is left running alone until the right amount of other cars wreck or start and park to leave them a partner.  Denny, a Chase contender, was a lap down before a wreck freed up a car to run with him.

This isn’t racing.  Daytona and Talladega hasn’t been racing in quite a while.  You have top tier drivers spending their day logging laps at the back of the pack because they are terrified to get caught up in someone else’s mess.  They lie in wait until about 25 laps left and decide it is go-time.  That is when the racing begins and we two by two they push to the front.

» Continue reading “NSCS Talladega: NASCAR, You Have Some Work To Do”

What's the running theme for this weekend's Sprint Cup race at Richmond? You got it. Complete and utter chaos.

This is it, Race Fans.  The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Richmond International Raceway for the final race to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. 

Eight drivers have clinched their spot in the Chase- Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Ryan Newman. 

Brad Keselowski has achieved one of the two Wild Card spots into the chase with his 3 wins.  Three spots in the Chase remain and 14 drivers are still mathematically eligible to qualify.

Hold on to your hats, fans.  This race is gonna be a good one.

» Continue reading “NSCS Richmond Preview: One Last Chance to Make the Chase”