NASCAR running thread

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

OK, if I were ever of a mind to root for Paul Menard, that's over and done with.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Now I feel even better Gordo was 2nd...

Fuck.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Doesn't surprise me. When I covered him back in '03, he was in the infancy of his career, so clearly, his sense of entitlement wasn't at Defcon-1. Wait ... yes it was ... he only had a career because of his dad.

He was OK with me when I was doing the hometown paper thing. We talked in his trailer for a while. I think he even confided that he was uncomfortable with riding his dad's money into racing. Uh, yeah, didn't buy that for a second, but whatever.

My whole experience with him that weekend at the Milwaukee Mile was weird. His sister was part of his "crew", and I swear, she was flirting with everyone that had a functioning (or non-functioning as the case may be) penis.

He raced for Andy Petree at the time. It was odd. Petree said the right things, but Petree only had a team at that point because of Menard's money, as evidenced by the demise of Petree's team when Menard jumped to DEI.

He probably did you a favor by turning down the request, IJAG. He's definitely the emptiest of suits. Vapid in the way that someone who will inherit undreamt of wealth usually is.

He's a pay driver in every sense that term implies ... and he finally lucked out on Sunday.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

I did an interview with him about a month ago. He didn't come across badly, but he did monotone his way through it and kept going on about ice racing or something that had nothing to do with what we were talking about. I didn't even bother to writer a story.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Paul Manured.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Awesome ending in the Nationwide race.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is cruising toward a win when his engine blows up in the last turn. Carl Edwards closes in fast and, apparently blinded by the smoke pouring out of Stenhouse's car, rear ends him. The impact knocks Stenhouse slightly sideways and across the finish line ahead of Edwards.
Gotta say, I've never seen that one before.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Just saw the video of the finish on NASCAR.com. Best part has to be towards the end, when one of the crewmembers on the 6 car tells Carl, "Thanks for the push."

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

That puts a whole new twist on "bump drafting"

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Watched it happen live. I thought Stenhouse blew a tire because it looked like he was having trouble controlling the car.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Probably because he'd been laying oil down on the track for a bit before it totally blew up.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Today's Pocono race sucked vaguely less than most Pocono races, especially since Keselowski had a broken ankle, so there's an inspiring angle.

And the Drs. Mattioli appear to have retired - wonder if this increases the odds that they bust the Tricky Triangle's races down to 400 miles.

 

Re: 2011 NASCAR running thread

Never hurts when you have some fireworks on pit row, either, a la Busch/Johnson.