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| Return of the Unofficial Race Report | | Date Created: Aug 07, 2007, 12:54 PM |
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There is always relief when we've departed the god-forsaken Pocono triangle for the season. Its proximity to the major population centers of the northeast seem to be the sole reason for having two Cup races within weeks of each other every summer. The races are almost always excrutiating but the workers in their 70s-style white sport jackets and butt-ugly multi-colored neckties are usually worth a laugh to ease the pain. The sole moment when the crowd seemed to wake from their slumber was when the red No. 8 car took the lead...
The only Cup facility less pristine comes this week when we go to Watkins Glen. It's a great circuit with a brilliant history, but sadly, ISC seemingly hasn't spent a dime to improve it in years. The media center is woefully small, and leaks like a sieve at the slightest sprinkle. The garage stalls are so small, it takes a Houdini-like effort to get the cars in and out. Each team must share a space the size of a one-and-a-half car garage.
NERVES of STEEL?: It's rare to see Junior publicly exhibit nerves, but he was as jittery as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs after making his qualifying run Friday afternoon. The team, driver and media milled around the racecar while the final handful of drivers went on track, Dale Jr. wanted nothing more than to simply hide. Why? Perhaps it goes back a few months to Dover, where he was briefly on the Bud Pole before Ryan Newman knocked him from the perch.
"I'll look like an ass if someone beats me," he jittered... Luckily we convinced him to stay around and get his Bud Pole Award immediately after the final car made an attempt. His happiness and relief was palpable.
GATOR-GATE: The incident Friday after qualifying where the pole-winning Bud car was damaged by a track vehicle becomes more bizarre the more we learn. Every team member that was in the area insists the driver of the gator - an ATV with large tires that is used by track workers and sometimes medical staff - saw the car from many feet away and simply drove straight into the path of the Bud machine before slamming the brakes immediately in front of the car. No attempt to steer away or avoid the accident was shown. We suspect the driver of the vehicle was either a Kurt Busch fan - or perhaps the same Pocono track worker who tried to remove Junior's helmet without undoing the chin strap after his accident there in 2000. (See "Driver #8" for THAT story...) The media may never have known about the smash-up if it weren't for Tony Eury Jr. calling a reporter to cancel a radio interview. "I can't call into your show, someone just ran into my car," he laughed...
STIFFY!: Speaking of Tony Jr. on the radio, check out the Bud team crew chief on Sirius NASCAR Radio Wednesday morning during the 9 o'clock hour ET (and replayed Wed. evening) on The Morning Drive show. He'll talk about the decision to change the left-front shock on the Bud car and the impressive scramble to a second-place finish.
SHOCKING: Eury Jr. gets the kudos for having the guts to call for the shock change - but we should also credit guys like Kevin "Two Beer" Pennell, Tony Gibson and Jay Guarneri who actually changed the shock during a pit stop that lasted slightly longer than 96 seconds. Those guys work their asses off seven days a week and rarely get the credit they deserve.
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 STURGIS: If you're stumbling through the Sturgis bike rally this week, stop by the Buffalo Chip Campground Wednesday eve to see Dale Jr, Brandon Bernstein and Jeff Clark with his Budweiser Burnout Bike on stage. The trio will be preceded by the Hawaiian Tropic Swimsuit competiton and followed by headliners Velvet Revolver (formed from the tattered remains of Guns & Roses, Wasted Youth and Stone Temple Pilots). I'm sure there will be voluminous amounts of Budweiser consumed. Check out more about Jeff (a Bud crew member since 2000) and his superb custom bike shop - the Cycle XChange - online or at MySpace. Ask to be their friend! |
 GRACELAND: Don't miss Junior's historic appearance at Graceland Monday evening for the 30th anniversary (celebration?!) of Elvis' death. To steal a phrase from Rolling Stone Magazine referring to another late rocker, "He's Sexy. He's Hot. He's Dead." Junior and Brandon Bernstein will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Graceland, then meet media from around the world before going on-stage to talk about their special Elvis paint schemes... Dale Jr. will also present his 10 favorite Elvis songs before introducing the world debut of the remastered version of "Viva Las Vegas" on the front lawn. While you're in Memphis, you owe it to yourself to also visit the Stax R&B museum as well. I insist.
He's in WHAT?!: Imagine my surprise when I learned via an email from a reader that Dale Jr. is in the new Nickelback video... |
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