Toyota again....WOW there's a surprise.
And about "sway bar-gate". Even before the news broke that it was MWR, Jimmy guessed they were the culprits. He said that they were the Toyota team that needed help the most.
I know I have this almost every week (well every week the trucks run) but what a slam bam truck race! For those fans that have never bothered going to a truck race....JUST DO IT!
For the first time since 1949 a Petty wasn't racing at Martinsville, their home track. That just plain sucks BUT maybe it's time for the King to tell Kyle they need a new driver.
So according to an UNBIASED Darrell Waltrip, Michael Waltrip Racing didn't really do anything wrong. Well now there is a truly UNBIASED person to ask. He said basically that the theft of an actual part is not as serious as the theft of diagrams of a part...Okey Dokey DW. But just for the record even a non-techno girl such as me would take that part right to my techno, mechanical, Mcgyver type husband to look at and figure out if it could help us run better.
Man weren't the split screens to show action on two different places on the track just plain great? Now if we can only get them to do that during commercials.
And ain't it great to actually be at a track where there is a reason to show racing from more than one place on the track because there is ACTUALLY racing on the track?
Matt Kenseth received a penalty for pitting outside his pit box which was sorta a result of his collision with Jeff Burton while they were both trying to pit. I'm just not sure if that isn't one of those things that should fall under "EIRI” (It's in the NASCAR rule book and it stands for Except In Rare Instances.)
At around lap 190 during the restart, Michael Waltrip got into the back of Aric Almirola and DW, of course, somehow found a way to blame it on Aric saying "Aric didn't get going fast enough." WHAT???? How about Mikey got going too fast?
OK Mikey just hit the wall and Jimmy had to come in and say "All that stolen sway bar technology and he still can't keep it out the wall." Man that Jimmy is one funny dude and that is one of the reasons I married him.
Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray both came home with top ten finishes....I'm not really surprised
since we picked McMurray on the fantasy picks this week. But anyway good for both of them!
Ok did anybody really think that the Hendrick teams wouldn't have a good day?
You gotta like when a hometown boy wins. Or I guess I should say when a home state boy wins.
OK, I will say it...man the grandstands were real empty Sunday. Maybe many fans feel like I do and just do not want to give ISC/the France family their hard earned money. It seems like Marty quit selling out about the same time it was bought by ISC.
Now according to one of the announcers, the speedway had sold more tickets than there were fans present. Now that could be said about every track that has empty seats can't it? And since ISC does not release such info where did he get that tidbit from? His crystal ball?
SURPRISES OF THE RACE:
Man what was up with Matt Kenseth? He gets a penalty on pit road which set him to the back and that was probably the bright spot in his day. It seemed like he was putted around more than Tiger Woods' golf balls. Finally he had enough and went out of his way to boot David Gilliland.
Jeff Burton actually lost his cool too....doesn’t happen often and if I were Michael McDowell I would find Jeff and make it right.
Speaking of Michael McDowell, looks like he showed his two teammates how to run at Marty finishing ahead of both of them.
David Ragan finished 11th. I keep telling Jimmy we need to pick him for the C class in fantasy racing.
The race actually went the distance which I never would have thought by looking at the Doppler radar through out the day.
WHERE'S MY GOODYS?
Johnny Benson had a second place finish in the bag when on the last lap Kyle Busch, who is long on talent but many times short on patience, got into the corner too hard and spun him out. Can't blame JB for being upset.
I lost count of how many times during the truck race we had to hear about those stupid "Digger the gopher cam" T-Shirts. Please no one I know email me that you have bought one of those stupid things....I will be ashamed to tell anyone I know you. Any fan listening on Saturday needed a Goodys. I wonder if DW is making a kick back of those stupid things?
Kenny Schrader was running tenth late in the race when his car's oil line came loose. Money may buy speed but it can't buy luck.
To all the fans who did show up to watch the race...You not only deserve a Goodys but a hot toddy to knock it back with for sitting in the stands dealing with that weather. At least in Atlanta after it snowed it did clear up for Sunday.
David Reutimann had a pretty decent run going before a parts failure....I know he wishes he still had the points he earned in the 00 car.
Brian Vickers and Carl Edwards gambled on fuel.
They lost. Edwards lasted a little longer than
Vickers and managed to get it home 9th.
Elliott Sadler drove the entire 500 miles at
Martinsville with a hurt back. Time for 2 Extra
Strength Goodys. He also managed to bring
it home 15th.
Oh yeah, about Kyle Busch, I guess the racin'
gods paid him back for the wreck from Saturday
on Sunday. It seems like the only driver with a
worse day was Matt Kenseth. And to think the
irony that his bad day started when his brother
got into him.
It would probably be easier to tell you who didn't run into Matt Kenseth than who did.
REAL LAP LEADERS: Lead Changes: 20 among 8 drivers but only 11 of them occurred under green. Out of those 11 that occurred under green, 4 were passes made by drivers who had pitted for fresh rubber passing guys like Dave Blaney, David Reutimann and Bobby Labonte who didn't. Well 11 is a lot better than what it has been until now.
THE READERS DIGEST VERSION OF THE RACE: : Typically Martinsville. Loads of bumping and banging. Drivers with patience ended up doing well unless they get caught up in some one else's mess. Many newbies running at Martinsville looking like the are out of control most of the day. And at least a few drivers mad at some one. We spent the whole day waiting for the rain to fall and are glad it didn't. It would be a shame to have a race at Marty only get to halfway since it is one of the few tracks that is actually racy.
On to Texas AKA Bruton's Baby, one of the ever popular 1.5 mile D-shaped tri-oval that overrun the schedule.
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