IndyCar and TMS's Eddie Gossage are at it again but the drivers have put the drama to rest this week...hopefully.

Good morning, race fans.  It’s a b-e-a-utiful Tuesday morning and it’s time for some news.

There’s not much in the way of “new stuff” this week in NASCAR and IndyCar but a couple of updates and follow-ups on stories we’ve already reported about.

We’ll talk about the EFI system that seems to be plaguing NASCAR as of late, the announcement of a new DreamWorks film that revolves around the Indianapolis 500 (staring my man-crush Ryan Reynolds by the way) and of course the ongoing drama between IndyCar drivers and Texas Motor Speedway.

So let’s dive in that way everybody can spend more time outside in the gorgeous weather today.  Oh yeah, nevermind I have a day job.  Everybody else have fun outdoors while I wallow in jealousy and sorrow.

» Continue reading “Garage Gossip: Snails With Magical Powers Anybody?”

This Wisconsin native was the "Big Cheese" in Daytona tonight. (photo credit: Chris Graythen)

The race technically ended on the twenty-eighth day but who’s counting, right?  This weekend’s Daytona 500 kind of ran together in one, huge blur of weirdness that started way back yesterday around noon.

And just ended about five minutes ago.  No joke.

In twenty years as a race fan, this was the most unusual of them all.  Rain was our problem on Sunday and fire was our problem on Monday.  Go figure, right?

Unless readers sat and suffered through the more than two-hour long caution for a strange, almost  God-like act at Daytona trust me when I say readers have no idea.

Until tonight I thought I’d seen it all at the track…until the jet dryer nearly burned the track down.  Thanks, Juan.

Oh yeah.  And Matt Kenseth won the 2012 Daytona 500 with an overheating car and nearly zero radio communication.

» Continue reading “Daytona 500: And On The 27th Day…Everything Happened.”

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.

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.

What Beatles song fits your favorite NASCAR driver? I picked a few randoms and the results are shockingly brilliant. Keep reading...

I have two obsessions in my life:  NASCAR and the Beatles.  I love one just as much as the other and I can’t pick a favorite.  I know more about the Beatles and NASCAR than I’d like to admit to the point it could possibly get me incarcerated for a long period of time.

The Beatles and NASCAR are a weird combination kind of like fries and frosties or pickles and peanut butter but then again who cares, right?

So I’m going to put a twist on NASCAR and the Beatles, throw the two into a blender and see what comes out.  I’ve got my i-pod on Beatles shuffle and I’m going to go down the list of some of our favorite drivers.

This could be fun or it could be a disaster.  Are you with me?  Good.  Throw on your earbuds and let’s rock this out.

» Continue reading “If your favorite NASCAR driver was a Beatles song it’d be…”

We have a busy, busy race weekend coming up, kids.  We have racing from all four divisions covered here at Lipstick and Lugnuts.  Morgann and I will be with you through it all, live-tweeting at our respective Twitter accounts as well as writing race recaps.  Are you following us yet?  Well, why not?!?  You can follow Morgann at @MorgannSpicer.  I can be found at @ekmcc24.

» Continue reading “Weekend Hot Pass: July 7-10, 2011″

Congratulations on your first Daytona win, Joey!

It’s Friday night and the NNS drivers were in full swing with high intensity drama in the Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona International Speedway.  Joey Logano took the checkers on a last lap sprint to the finish and Reed Sorenson walked away just a tad bit richer as he captured the first of the “Dash 4 Cash” $100,000 Nationwide bonus races.

» Continue reading “NNS Daytona Drama: Logano wins Subway Jalapeno 250″

Let's get this yakkfest going with some Garage Gossip. Party on with your bad selves. You know you love your racing gossip.

Good morning, everybody!  I hope you’ve had a chance to inhale that first cup of coffee because we have a lot to cover today in Garage Gossip. 

Tons of rumors are flying around in NASCAR and IndyCar about tracks losing races, tracks getting races back, crew chiefs leaving teams, drivers signing extensions and even some Dan Wheldon news.  So grab a cup ‘o java and let’s get this yakkfest going.

Let’s start with the IndyCar series.  After last weekend’s Marco Andretti win what more could there possibly be to talk about in the IZOD series, right?  Wrong.  There’s plenty for everybody to go around a few times.

How can there possibly be more NASCAR news too?  Especially after all the on-track meltdowns and post-race sarcasm there can’t possibly be anymore dramatics. There are plenty, trust me.

» Continue reading “Garage Gossip: Is Zippy leaving JGR? Is IndyCar losing the Milwaukee Mile?”

Kurt Busch dominated the overly dramatic and very exciting Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. Road course haters: be jealous. (photo courtesy of www.nascar.com)

Fans, tell me you didn’t know this race was going to be a mess today before the green flag even waved.  Did anybody see Stephanie Harwood’s hair during the national anthem?  You could tell what kind of day it was going to be because her hair was huge cluster of nothing but madness wrapped into a huge pink ball of crazy.  Had I known this would be today’s precursor I would have gladly taken a few shots before the race.

Loyal as I am and as I’ll ever be, I didn’t think anything of it and began watching what I thought was going to be “just another road course race” for the books and an average, drama-free day.  Was I ever wrong.

» Continue reading “Toyota/Save Mart 350: Road Course Raging”

And Kurt shows us what NOT to do at Infineon

Here it is, Race Fans!  This is one of two weekends where we get to shut up the NASCAR haters.  You know the type….the ones who say NASCAR is nothing but a bunch of left turns.  We get to stand up, loud and proud, and say….

We’re turning right!

NASCAR is taking its show to the west coast this weekend with the Toyota Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA.  This 2.5 road course is located in the heart of California wine country, but this track is anything but genteel.  Passing opportunities on this track are made, not earned.  Any advancement in positions is usually the result of someone’s mistake, or a little nudge from the faster car behind.  It takes patience to get through a day at this track.  Unfortunately, it seems there is very little of that to go around this year in NASCAR.

» Continue reading “Infineon Raceway: On the Road Again”