Lance McGrew was named full time crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr in 2010, and with a vote of confidence from car owner Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr himself, on Friday.
McGrew, who has been Earnhardt's crew chief since taken over the spot from Earnhardt's long time crew chief and cousin Tony Eury Jr in late May, and has lead Dale to a third at Michigan and ninth at Bristol.
Earnhardt has also led 41 laps at Kansas, under McGrew's tenure this season, before retiring due to engine failure.
AJ Allmendinger was giving a breath test before practice today, following his arrest in Mooresville on a DUI.
besides being put on probation by NASCAR, Allemdinger was also fined $10,000 by Richard Petty Motorsports. RPM also has put Allemdinger on their own probation which lasts until the end of the 2010 Nascar season.
Micheal Waltrip Racing's driver Micheal Waltrip was blacked flagged by Nascar for the final 30 minutes of finial practiced for aggressive driving.
Waltrip in his NAPA 55 Toyota Camry was bump drafting the 48 Chevy Impala SS of Championship leader Jimmie Johnson. Waltrip was warned by Nascar to give Johnson some space, and when he didn't they Black flagged him.
Nascar is said to be keeping a close eye on the bump drafting during this weekend, after the harrowing accident at Talladega during the spring race. The accident was caused when rookie Brad Keselowski made contract with Carl Edwards. Edwards was then sent flying into the catch fence, which sent debris into the stands and injuring several fans.
Keselowski would go on to win the race.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Allmendinger Arrested For DUI
AJ Allmendinger driver of Richard Petty Motorsports number 44 Dodge Charger, was arrested early Thursday morning after he failed a field sobriety test that was giving to him after he was pulled over.
"We are disappointed with his actions. A.J. has told us that he has accepted full responsibility for his actions and will do what is right", Richard Petty Motorsports said in a statement released on Friday.
Richard Petty is known shunning alcohol sponsorship, and also not allowing his team to run in the now named Nationwide series, when it was sponsored by Busch.
Allmendiger is said to be moving into the Richard Petty famed 43 for the 2010 season, which is said will be sponsored by Best Buy.
It is unknown if Allmendiger's arrest will effect those plans.
Also on Thursday, Nascar placed Allmendinger on probation until Dec. 31, citing that he was in violation of Section 12-1 of the 2009 NASCAR rule book. Section 12-1 states that Allindinger's actions were detrimental to stock car racing.
Richard Petty is known shunning alcohol sponsorship, and also not allowing his team to run in the now named Nationwide series, when it was sponsored by Busch.
Allmendiger is said to be moving into the Richard Petty famed 43 for the 2010 season, which is said will be sponsored by Best Buy.
It is unknown if Allmendiger's arrest will effect those plans.
Also on Thursday, Nascar placed Allmendinger on probation until Dec. 31, citing that he was in violation of Section 12-1 of the 2009 NASCAR rule book. Section 12-1 states that Allindinger's actions were detrimental to stock car racing.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Should A Rookie Be Aggressive?
During Last Weekends Nascar Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway, rookie Joey Logano was called aggressive by a one of the Nascar on ESPN booth personal.
Now i have to say that i'm not a fan of Joey Logano either, because of the fact that i feel that not only is he to young but he also didn't have enough stock car experience to race in Nascar's top series.
I also have to say that i agreed with which ever one of the three ESPN booth personal that made the comment that Joey is aggressive, now that may make me bias but what ever, everyone is entitled to their own opinions right.
There have been times this season when Joey has made some moves on the race track this season, at least one made it look like he was a cause of a wreck, that made it look like that statement is in fact true.
If Joey is an aggressive rookie then that means his name can be added to the list of past rookies that either were aggressive or had raced aggressively. those rookies were Kurt Busch, Kurt's brother Kyle Busch, and from what i heard Joey's predecessor Tony Stweart.
Well that's enough about Joey "Sliced Bread" Logano, as ESPN's Randy Lajoie calls him, for now since the original question i posed was should a rookie be aggressive.
The answer is no, a rookie in any of Nascar's three series should not be aggressive.
The main reason is that a rookie needs to get the respect of the veterans, and i don't think most veterans give their respect to rookies that are aggressive. I can't even imagine a veteran talking to a aggressive rookie unless it is to try and talk some sense into them or unless they were the rookies teammate. Although you don't hear that much of Kyle Busch or Denny Hamlin helping out Joey, which i think he needs, since he had Greg Biffle mad at him earlier this month.
The second reason is that the rookie may scare off potential sponsors if they are seen to be aggressive, I mean some sponsors don't like going with rookies in the first place but if that rookie is aggressive it would scare a sponsor away three fold, or that's what i believe will happen. and aggressive rookie will be seen by a sponsor as having a tendency to crash in almost every race, and that is something a sponsor doesn't like.
So to sum it all up , nobody likes an aggressive driver especially if the driver happens to be a rookie.
Now i have to say that i'm not a fan of Joey Logano either, because of the fact that i feel that not only is he to young but he also didn't have enough stock car experience to race in Nascar's top series.
I also have to say that i agreed with which ever one of the three ESPN booth personal that made the comment that Joey is aggressive, now that may make me bias but what ever, everyone is entitled to their own opinions right.
There have been times this season when Joey has made some moves on the race track this season, at least one made it look like he was a cause of a wreck, that made it look like that statement is in fact true.
If Joey is an aggressive rookie then that means his name can be added to the list of past rookies that either were aggressive or had raced aggressively. those rookies were Kurt Busch, Kurt's brother Kyle Busch, and from what i heard Joey's predecessor Tony Stweart.
Well that's enough about Joey "Sliced Bread" Logano, as ESPN's Randy Lajoie calls him, for now since the original question i posed was should a rookie be aggressive.
The answer is no, a rookie in any of Nascar's three series should not be aggressive.
The main reason is that a rookie needs to get the respect of the veterans, and i don't think most veterans give their respect to rookies that are aggressive. I can't even imagine a veteran talking to a aggressive rookie unless it is to try and talk some sense into them or unless they were the rookies teammate. Although you don't hear that much of Kyle Busch or Denny Hamlin helping out Joey, which i think he needs, since he had Greg Biffle mad at him earlier this month.
The second reason is that the rookie may scare off potential sponsors if they are seen to be aggressive, I mean some sponsors don't like going with rookies in the first place but if that rookie is aggressive it would scare a sponsor away three fold, or that's what i believe will happen. and aggressive rookie will be seen by a sponsor as having a tendency to crash in almost every race, and that is something a sponsor doesn't like.
So to sum it all up , nobody likes an aggressive driver especially if the driver happens to be a rookie.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Is Eight Million to much?
Now i have to admit that I'm not a fan of Danica Patrick, however i am a fan of women racers, just not Danica or the IRL for that matter.
There was a rumor going around earlier this month which was reported by Yahoo! Sports, that said Ms. Patrick was asking for eight million for eight Nationwide races next year, that's a million a race. In this day and age where race teams have to merge or close down because they can't find sponsorship, do you think it's right for her to ask for that much money when she hasn't ever raced in a stock car and is committed to run the full IRL schedule?
I think not. Just because she has one win in the IRL doesn't mean she can ask for that much money from owners in a different series that she has never run before. I mean when Sam Hornish Jr and Dario Franchitti decided to run in Nascar do you think they went to Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi and asked for 36 million dollars, i highly doubt that. And those two drivers have multiple races in the IRL.
Now i never want to think that or say that a would use her status as the first woman to win a race in a big racing league to get more money they should be getting, but i feel that if this rumor is true then that's what she is trying to do.
I may not like Danica but i can say one thing, i hope that this rumor is just that a rumor and is untrue. Because i think it would hurt her career and possibly her creditability if it is true.
There was a rumor going around earlier this month which was reported by Yahoo! Sports, that said Ms. Patrick was asking for eight million for eight Nationwide races next year, that's a million a race. In this day and age where race teams have to merge or close down because they can't find sponsorship, do you think it's right for her to ask for that much money when she hasn't ever raced in a stock car and is committed to run the full IRL schedule?
I think not. Just because she has one win in the IRL doesn't mean she can ask for that much money from owners in a different series that she has never run before. I mean when Sam Hornish Jr and Dario Franchitti decided to run in Nascar do you think they went to Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi and asked for 36 million dollars, i highly doubt that. And those two drivers have multiple races in the IRL.
Now i never want to think that or say that a would use her status as the first woman to win a race in a big racing league to get more money they should be getting, but i feel that if this rumor is true then that's what she is trying to do.
I may not like Danica but i can say one thing, i hope that this rumor is just that a rumor and is untrue. Because i think it would hurt her career and possibly her creditability if it is true.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Does a Championship really show how great a driver is?
That is a question that bothers everyone from a car owner to the sports writers, and event the drivers themselves.
It is my opinion that a championship is not needed to judge weather or not a race car driver is good. Just look at Nascar Sprint Cup driver Mark Martin. He has been racing in Nascar's top series for twenty seven years, though not consecutively, and has made seven hundred and fifty four starts as well as forty wins. That is a winning percentage of five point three percent. Mr. Martin also has two hundred Top fives and four hundred and fourteen top tens. Now granted Mark Martin has come close to winning the then Winston Cup in nineteen ninety, ninety four, ninety eight, and in two thousand and two. But for right now lets say that he didn't even accomplish that.
Doesn't Marl Martin's record speak for itself that he's a good if not great driver even without winning a Sprint Cup championship?
If Nascar drivers are considered great by some people because they won a championship or not, then how can some people consider Danica Patrick a great open wheel driver when she has only one win in over eighty one races. Now i agree that she has done better then any other female driver in open wheel or Nascar, that has come before her, however should she be considered a great driver. I don't think she should.
Now maybe if she had been racing a few more years or had a few more wins, then maybe i would consider her a great driver.
As i stated before i do not believe a driver needs to win a championship to be a great driver, instead people should judge a driver on how many starts they have, how many wins and top fives and well as top tens that driver has in their career.
(all numbers used for Mark Martin and Danica Patrick were current on October 27, 2009)
It is my opinion that a championship is not needed to judge weather or not a race car driver is good. Just look at Nascar Sprint Cup driver Mark Martin. He has been racing in Nascar's top series for twenty seven years, though not consecutively, and has made seven hundred and fifty four starts as well as forty wins. That is a winning percentage of five point three percent. Mr. Martin also has two hundred Top fives and four hundred and fourteen top tens. Now granted Mark Martin has come close to winning the then Winston Cup in nineteen ninety, ninety four, ninety eight, and in two thousand and two. But for right now lets say that he didn't even accomplish that.
Doesn't Marl Martin's record speak for itself that he's a good if not great driver even without winning a Sprint Cup championship?
If Nascar drivers are considered great by some people because they won a championship or not, then how can some people consider Danica Patrick a great open wheel driver when she has only one win in over eighty one races. Now i agree that she has done better then any other female driver in open wheel or Nascar, that has come before her, however should she be considered a great driver. I don't think she should.
Now maybe if she had been racing a few more years or had a few more wins, then maybe i would consider her a great driver.
As i stated before i do not believe a driver needs to win a championship to be a great driver, instead people should judge a driver on how many starts they have, how many wins and top fives and well as top tens that driver has in their career.
(all numbers used for Mark Martin and Danica Patrick were current on October 27, 2009)
Monday, October 26, 2009
Hello, This is The Goose
You Can Call Me The Goose. I will be be writing a Sports Blog about Nascar Racing, and maybe when there is an off weekend, Baseball or Football.
During the Nascar season this will be a weekly blog, most likely to be updated on a Monday, but during the off season, or unless i hear something that i find to blog about it maybe a near daily thing.
During the Nascar season this will be a weekly blog, most likely to be updated on a Monday, but during the off season, or unless i hear something that i find to blog about it maybe a near daily thing.
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