Hello loyal readers and other folks. Hope your 4th of July is goin’ just as you planned. Duck and I are relaxin’ today after workin’ hard all day yesterday. We wanted to get our Monday’s work done yesterday so we could just relax today and watch some TV, somethin’ we can’t usually do much of durin’ the day. Duck is still poutin’ some but more on that later. For us, like most people, our real work week starts on Monday so we are goin’ to see’ how we like this unusal plannin’.
Before we go any further though I need to tell y’all that Cousin Grouch won the BYBB cook off with her amazin’ Spicy Red Beans, Bacon Bits and Corn Bread Dumplin’s. Good for her I say (but sad for us)! A young couple from somewhere up north recently opened up a little eatery in these parts. Their business hadn’t been so good cause they just didn’t offer foods like we enjoy around here. They were at the contest and were so taken with Cousin Grouch and her winnin’ ways recipe that questioned her about her many other recipies and then offered her a job right on the spot! She is officially now Chief Cook and no bottle washer. Course it is a full time job so she sadly has to step away from her contributions to this weekly race report. I sure am goin’ miss her reflections and I am sure y’all will as well, so here’s a good luck to ya Cousin dear and stay in touch. Duck and I may just stop in to the “Greasy Pot Food Stop” to see ya sometime soon. Good luck to ya dearie.
So we were treated to another 2 race deal at Daytona, land of the Duelin’ Duets. To switch stuff up the Nationwide race was on Friday and the Cup race was Saturday. Duck and I did our shoppin’ early Friday mornin’ and had quite the loud conversation with Walter behind the meat counter. Course he’s a fan of this type of now the norm Daytona racin’, but, that’s neither here nor there and more on that later. Anyway the well funded Cup owners added drivers to help the “partner” effort needed to do anythin’ worthwhile in these events and I understand that well enough. Happy Man did so and ended up havin’ all top 4 spots for the lineup. Course boss man started 1st with Smoke 2nd, cutie regular Elliott Sadler 3rd and Bowyer in the 4th spot. That young’ un Bayne, the winner of the Cup race at Daytona in February started 5th. Additional Cup drivers in this race were Jamie McMurray, Flippin’ Carl, Bad Brad, Rowdy Boy and Joe Nemechek. Good for them but sad for some of the other Nationwide drivers who didn’t make the field or didn’t attempt to because of that. Know what I mean? Danica girl rejoined this series startin’ 7th, Flippin’ Carl started 8th and that grandson of Dale Sr., Jeffrey Earnhardt was back to racin’ startin’ 27th. The rest you can look up.
Duck and I mildly cheered and quacked as the green flag waved cause we knew what we were goin’ to see. It was a typical now the norm Daytona race, the same ol’ Noah’s Ark deal, 2 by 2. For those who didn’t have a partner, well, sad for them I say cause they just had to hope for somethin’ to came their way. On the 1st lap they were already pairin’ up with their pre selected partners if they were lucky enough to have one. And whatever pair was in whatever position on whichever lap wasn’t quite often the leader at the end of that lap. I know you do know what I mean. So many pairups looked good off and on throughout the race only to fall back and then move forward again. No way to do a lap by lap deal here and you know I won’t do it even if I could. 6 cautions filled this duo racin’ event. And like we all know, the last lap is the one that counts most at the bank. On the last lap as wide smilin’ Logano was bein’ pushed by teammate Rowdy Boy for the win a crash was happenin’ behind him. Course that’s where the leader wants a crash to happen. Those involved included Danica Girl, Brian Scott, Jamie McMurray, Smoke, Mike Wallace and nephew Steven. Heck maybe there were even more. I’m not sure. Jason Leffler, Reed Sorensen, Rowdy Boy and Justin Allgaier rounded out the top 5. And for those who want to know Flippin’ Carl finished 14th, Happy Man finished 18th, Jeffrey Earnhardt finished 19th and Danica wound up 10th. Good and sad for them as it applies. The rest you can look up. Duck was sad, I was glad it was over and we settled in for a restless night.
Saturday we prepared for the Cup race. I have no idea why but we were hopeful that it would be a bit more excitin’ so we set out our snacks on the crates and with a little more enthusiasm cheered and quacked as that cute little veteran Mark Martin led us to the green followed by Baby Face Bayne, Bowyer, Jeffie Gordon and David Ragan. For those who are interested JR started 6th followed by Andy Lally (GOOD for him I say!), same champ Jimmie, Allmendinger and Menard. Duck was hopeful with Flippin’ Carl startin’ in 14th who came to this race as the points leader. Duck was tryin’ hard to look at the “big picture” but it is hard for him most times.
There was some surprisin’ partnerin’ up, let me tell ya that one somethin’ right now. Duck and I wrongly figured Flyin’ Ryan and Smoke would buddy up. Boy howdy were we wrong. Tony partnered up with David Gilliland and Ryan partnered up with Denny Hamlin. Go figure that one out. It was more of the same ol’ stuff with drivers movin’ back or slowin’ to wait on their partners which Duck and I understand. But Baby Face Bayne’s partner was Bad Brad and on lap 5 that took a south turn for him. The caution came out when Brad was on the left side of Bayne’s bumper, a big no no as the booth boys report, which sent him hard into the wall. Bowyer, Jamie and Bobby LaBonte wrecked too. Jamie and Labonte pitted for repairs but poor Trevor’s day was over. It took Brad quite awhile to find someone to dance with again. Perhaps he was experiencin’ what Lally was goin’ through with no one trustin’ him for lack of experience. Course Keselowski has experience but I’m just sayin’.
On lap 23 Duck’s hopes were dashed in a big, big way. His idol Flippin’ Carl and his duet buddy crashed. Sad for them, Duck and ultimately me I say! Course Duck in his own feathered way asked me if Carl still had the points lead and I told him we would have to wait and see how things shake out. Oh my good and gracious LORD, all I wanted was to see somethin’ different and enjoyable and that wreck just made my race viewin’ even less enjoyable with the hohummin’ and duckly sighs comin’ from Duck’s side of the divan. Whatever I say!
What we saw was pretty much what we saw on Saturday. Leaders fallin’ way back, sometimes by choice, with surprisin’ moves from other duos in the front pack. One somethin’ that was different was that this race only had 5 cautions compared to the previous day’s 6. Big deal I say! Last lap is the one that counts and David Ragan won his first Cup race. I told a disappointed Duck that we had to feel good for a first time leader. Let me tell ya one somethin’ right now, I had no idea in this world that Duck could or would give me such a mean spirited look. Made me mad and hurt my feelin’s. I would have sent him to his room but he went willin’ly. Good enough for him I say. Anyway GOOD, good and good for David Ragan! Robo Matt, Wide Smilin’ Logano, Cutie Kasey and Rowdy Boy were the top five finishers. For those who are interested and/or upset Flippin’ Carl who lost the points lead by 5 points to Happy Man Harvick finished 37th 26 laps short. Sad and good for them I say! And JR and his partner same champ Jimmie finished 19th and 20th respectfully. The rest you can look up.
Now for some other stuff. I think Chad Knaus and Steve Letarte made a big mistake in waitin’ to have their drivers make their move to the front. Good grief even Duck and I know with the pack they were runnin’ in separated from the lead pack how hard it would be for them to make up that distance. Shame on those crew chiefs I say! And finally, I watched these duelin’ duos races knowin’ full well what to expect but I can’t say I like this type of racin’ much at all, course it’s all we had to vie racin’ wise and what else were we goin’ do with ourselves? Do you like it? Sure the new surface changes stuff up but it just isn’t what the fans of this sport want. Is it? Do the drivers like it? Not sure if they can say much about that part. Oh well on to the next races at Kentucky. The Trucks return to competition finally. Good for them I say! The races will be a strange Thursday, Friday and Saturday line up.
So there ya have it. That’s it for now but hope your 4th is an enjoyable and safe one. Y’all behave yourselves and as my late husband Elmer used to say, if ya can’t be good then be careful. Have a good week too. Email, comment or don’t. You know the rest. Grump over and out!
