Welcome, gay NASCAR fans! Congratulations to this week's winner, Greg Biffle. Our DeVine 91/2 fantasy team showed out quite nicely: We had four guys in the top 10! It was great to see Jamie finish 2nd, but really, Biffle pretty much ran off with it. Still, our guys were all up in the action -- both lucky and the other kind -- and it was a very exciting race day.
We've also got four boys in the top 10 in Cup points. I need to correct something I said last week, though. I misunderstood NASCAR's current contenders calculation and incorrectly reported that Mikey and Brian were already mathematically eliminated from the Chase. The official standings do not now show anyone eliminated. The current contenders thing notes the drivers who are within 400 points of the leader and thus eligible for the Chase at the points -- one of those "if the regular season ended right now" type of things. Under that equation, we would now have eight cars in the hunt.
FOX reported there were 200,000 in attendance, and it sure enough looked packed out. With the way these Texas cowpokes support their speedway, it's no wonder they were awarded a second race. The lucky ones were those there for the whole weekend -- the IROC million-dollar shootout was fun on Friday and Kasey Khane took his second Busch victory Saturday, setting up hopes (later dashed) for a Carl Edwards-like sweep.
On Sunday, Dr. Roger Marsh of Texas Alliance Raceway Ministries brought the invocation. Josh Gracin, an American Idol finalist and a nominee for CMT's breakout artist award, sang the National Anthem. The flyover featured an incredible B-52 -- Texas is so rich, they can afford the finest of everything. Starting the race in English and Espanol were Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman and comedian George Lopez.
Coming off two weeks of short-track racing, it was great to see the guys wind those mighty rides up to 200 again. (Well, almost 200 -- I still think Atlanta is faster.) Ryan sat on the pole, and yet again, the cautions were out early as Dave Blaney's Jack Daniel's car went tipsy at lap 4 and Scott Riggs took a spin at lap 8. On lap 23, Jason Leffler spun after contact from Robby Gordon. There is some speculation, apparently, that Jason, whose been wrecking real regular, might lose his FedEx ride. During pit stops, there was a big crazy-clown mess on pit lane with cars on the grass, and runaway tire, and so forth. Brian Vickers had a bad hair day when his car got hurt in the next caution, which came out for action involving Jeff Green and Bobby Labonte, who was said to be racing with the flu, yuck! The next caution was for les debris.
At lap 117, we were heartened to have Mikey in 2nd, chasing Biffle, and Jamie in 4th, chasing Kurt Busch. Under the sixth caution, for debris, on lap 123, Mikey took the lead on pit lane! Soon enough we were watching Jamie chase Kasey for 3rd, mm mm good! At lap 149, it was cute all over with Kasey in 3rd, Casey in 4th and Jamie in 5th! Cars came in for green flag pit stops in the 180s. At lap 189, Mikey gave up the lead to pit. Around this time, Jr. got very snippy on the radio with his crew, saying that no matter what he said about the car's problems, they just said, "10-4, 10-4!"
The caution flew again at lap 240 for the spinning Robby Gordon. After the restart with 89 to go, it was Casey and Jamie chasing Biffle. At lap 271, we just hated it when Kasey spun and hit the wall in a scary hard crash, ending his day. It was great to see him OK later. In the pits, Jamie had a superior stop -- 13.3 seconds to come out 3rd! With 89 to go, Tony Stewart's engine exploded, setting fire to the rear of the car. He made it out but had some burns. In the pits, Casey took just two tires (wrong choice) and grabbed the lead! But that didn't last, as Biffle tracked him down and held on until the end.
MAKING MAMA PROUD
Even though a win would have been sweeter, we are sure Casey Mears' mom must have enjoyed her day on Sunday. FOX reported that she and Casey's dad go to every race, and Sunday was her birthday! That 4th place finish was certainly a nice tribute to mama!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Here's Kenny Wallace, who helped call Friday's IROC race, on Bobby Hamilton's effort on the track: "He doesn't mind not being in the spotlight. He doesn't relish being a hero. What he wants is that million dollars!"
THE SHATTERED NERVES OF MARK MARTIN!
As everyone knows, in terms of nerves, Mark is the driver who most closely resembles Aunt Pittypat in "Gone with the Wind." He's forever having what the old folks used to call "a conniption fit." In a pit stop IROC race, where the rules are very different, Mark was frantically waving his hands, shouting, we assume, for the officials to allow something on his car to be fixed. Then, on Sunday, Darryl Waltrip explained Mark's lack of progress at one point by saying, "That contact he had with the 43 car earlier in the race, it takes Mark Martin a long time to get over something like that. " "Oh dear, oh dear! Uncle Peter! My smelling salts!"
WHOSE TITTY IS IT ANYWAY?
During one cutaway to a commercial Sunday, FOX showed a nice closeup of the perky boob of a racer's wife! Then the camera-perv opened up to a wider view, but it was clear where his interest lay! That was funny.
#1 WITH A BULLET!
In discussing the reportedly excellent race communications between Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief Chad Knaus, Jeff Hammond said the following on Sunday:
"Chad believes in Jimmie, and Jimmie believes in Chad."
Well, this to me sounds like the hook line for a gay hit in the "doo-wop" style! Can you imagine? Think of a quintet of black dudes in brightly colored tuxedoes and shades, swaying back and forth and working that line in various harmonies during a PBS beg-a-thon! I'm telling you, it works!
That's all I know about this week, friends. Thanks for stopping by the trailer. Next it's on to Phoenix and some hot fun under the lights! Let's all meet up down at the Track Bar!
Love,
Betty Jack DeVine
E ME at Bettyjack@gaytona.com
