Kasey Kahne gave HMS win #201 on Sunday night in the quickest Coca-Cola 600 ever. (photo credit: NASCAR)

Everybody deals with pressure at one point in their lifetime and Kasey Kahne is no different.

Sunday night all the pressure that had been mounting since signing with Hendrick Motorsports was lifted in one drop of a checkered flag.

Kasey Kahne won his third Coca-Cola 600 and also placed himself back in the hunt for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup title.

Last night’s victory was Kahne’s 13th overall in Sprint Cup and the first since winning in Phoenix last season.  Last night was also Kahne’s 300th career Sprint Cup start as well.

» Continue reading “Sprint Cup: Make That #201, Mr. Hendrick…”

Will my team's communication be better at Talladega? You bet it will...I hope. (photo credit: Concord Monitor)

Carl Edwards nation was up in arms after Saturday night’s Sprint Cup race at RIR with 81 laps to go because somebody (at the time nobody knew who) miscommunicated the starting order to our “favorite” son.

So what happened?  Nobody really knows.

Did Tony Stewart (who was coined the leader at the time of the green flag restart) spin the tires causing Edwards to “pass” him on the track?

Was Carl told the starting order by spotters with him as being indicated the leader?

Nobody knew at the time and it doesn’t matter because Carl was nowhere near the restart box area so it doesn’t matter.

Carl also told the media after Saturday night’s race he was told the No. 99 was the leader on the restart which was incorrect.  Let’s sort this out NASCAR’s way, shall we?

» Continue reading “Sprint Cup: Did No. 99 Screw Up At RIR? NASCAR Says Yes.”

Might be calling this place home sooner than I think...literally. Fingers crossed.

Okay.  So hi again, everybody.  Yeah, I’ve been away for awhile.  For that, I apologize to everybody and anybody that gazes at our site from time to time or on a regular basis. 

I’m trying to relocate to the Racing Capital of the World (yes, Indianapolis – squeee!!) so I’ve been driving like mad between interviews, seeing my boyfriend on the weekends and still maintaining sanity here in Northwest Indiana. 

It’s been a bumpy ride, kind of like Jeremy Mayfield’s journey through the justice system that ended in utter failure a couple days ago.  Ouchie.

Let’s see what’s shakin’ in racing this week and get back on the speed freak wagon, shall we?  

» Continue reading “Let’s Catch Up With The Rest Of The Field, Shall We?”

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 is a No Drama Zone on a cranky Monday morning.

I’m going on a short rant today about drama created in NASCAR and it’s just in general.  I’m not picking at or pointing out one particular source but one situation “sent me over the edge” today (you’ll get the pun later).

My issue:  drivers and reporters trying to make something out of nothing in racing (i.e. looking for drama or looking to create drama where there really isn’t any to be found).

This one happened to involve a veteran and NASCAR’s most popular driver, two of which happen to be teammates on the track:  Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at Las Vegas on Sunday.

» Continue reading “Motormouth Monday: …And There’s A Fret!”

Boom went Smoke's dynamite today, people. Scratch Vegas off the bucket list.

Tony Stewart must have heard my sarcastic plea to not suck at Las Vegas this weekend because he certainly proved me wrong today.  How did he do it?

Well, on Friday I told the entire universe to not bet on him to win this weekend.

Oh yeah, Stewart completely crossed out Las Vegas at the “Tracks I Suck At” list today and took the checkers to secure his 45th career victory.

And made me look like an ass in the process…thanks, Smoke.

» Continue reading “NSCS: Smoke Sizzles In Sin City…And Makes Me Look Bad”

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″

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.”

Oh yeah…this guy right here:

Yes, the man just can't stop winning. I know, sucks to be your driver and not mine. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

Ok, fans, we got what we asked for.  NASCAR made changes to the car to eliminate the Daytona/Talladega two car tandem racing.  We are back to large pack racing and even larger wrecks.

I spent the greater part of the race curled up in a little ball, ruining my manicure by chewing my nails, and finding it difficult to breathe.  It takes us back to watching these restrictor plate races knowing that one false move from one bonehead driver will wreck a good portion of the field.

The Big One is back.

Kyle Busch managed to survive to beat Tony Stewart to the Bud Shootout checkers.  I don’t even know how Kyle was able to straighten his car out from not one, but two Hendrick attempts to dump him.

The first save of the night after a love tap from Jimmie Johnson’s 48 was the sickest save I have seen in quite some time.  This video will make the end of the year highlight reel.  No question.

» Continue reading “NASCAR Bud Shootout: The Pack Is Back”