Hello loyal readers and other folks. Another race weekend has come and gone with some unexpected results, for Duck and I at least, but more on that later. Friday had no NASCAR race cause the Nationwide Series was off this past weekend so the Campin’ World Trucks took to the track on Saturday and boy howdy how Duck and I were lookin’ forward to it. Course we wondered about the current normal Noah’s Ark 2 by 2 racin’ deal at those restrictor plate tracks, but we decided early in the week that we were gonna just watch and see if that part had improved any with the changes NASCAR had made. Oh it was still a 2 by 2 deal but the jostlin’ in the field was more often, more surprizin’ to our way of thinkin’ and seemed to give more racers a chance to get somethin’ done if ya know what I mean. That gave us hope for a more excitin’ than usual restrictor plate Cup race on Sunday. And for those who want to know, since Flippin’ Carl wasn’t racin’ I was pleased to be Duck fit free for the race, let me tell ya that one somethin’ right now.
Since the race started late afternoon Duck and I ate our main meal of the day early so with our tummies full we settled in on the divan with some hot chocolate for refreshment and cheered and quacked as the green flag waved for 94 laps and James Buescher as he led them to the line followed by Piquet, Jr., WOG, 3 Wheels Now, Handsome Hornaday and Middle Wallace. For those who want to know Crafty Matt started 12th, Rock’em Sock’em started 20th, Rowdy Boy started 17th and Jeffery Earnhardt, Kerry’s boy started 34th. It was good to see that boy racin’ again. Anyway, the rest you can look up.
It was excitin’ from the get go let me tell ya that one somethin’ right now. Handsome was drivin’ the #2 truck again and Middle Wallace was behind the wheel of the #33. Duck and I thought that was interestin’ for Mike to be drivin’ that truck cause Curly Sadler usually drives it but his wife is expectin’ their 2nd baby so Duck and I were pleased to see Middle get this chance. Duck and I like those Wallace boys and we hadn’t seen him in a truck race in quite a long spell. Handsome and Middle worked real well together. Two veterans like that? Yep we were excited to see it and those boys worked right well together. No learnin’ curve there, nossirree.
No lap by lap deal here but 23 trucks finished on the lead lap. There was a wreck or two but nothin’ too major in the grand scheme of it all. Course you wouldn’t feel that way if you were one of those involved in an accident, but I’m just sayin’. And what a choice Happy Man and wifey made in stickin’ Middle Wallace behind the wheel. He, with Handsome pushin’ him, won the race! Oh my good and gracious LORD it was so good to see him win after all this time. This was Middle’s 5 overall victory and 1st since he won the mid season race at Daytona in 2004. GOOD for him I say! So instead of him and his wife celebratin’ their anniversary on some exotic island somewhere they were whoppin’ it up in victory lane. Handsome seemed real happy for him, too, congratulatin’ him in Victory Lane. Anyway Handsome finished 2nd followed by Buescher, 4 Wheels Now and White. For those who want to know WOG finished 7th after NASCAR penalized him with 5 laps to go and sent him packin’ to the back after he was shuttin’ the engine on and off to conserve fuel and couldn’t maintain speed. He was not a happy camper let me tell ya that one somethin’ right now, but ya can’t fight those powers that be. Know what I mean? Anyway Rowdy Boy finished 9th, Rock’em Sock’em finished 15th. WOG is still the points leader but only by 3 points followed by Buescher, Rock’em Sock’em down 14 points and Handsome Hornaday now only 16 points behind WOG. The rest you can look up.
Now for the Cup race yesterday. Once again Duck and I were wonderin’ how the dancin’ duet deal was gonna work. Lots of racefans, Duck and I included, have been critical of this lately type race happenin’s at Daytona and Talladega. But again we decided to wait and see. Course this late in the race season and with so much on the line for so many, we figured there would be some who would look at the “big picture” more than earlier in the season and go for safe, no problems finishes which appears to have happened. Can’t say we blame ’em none, more or less if ya know what I mean. Anyhow Cutie Mark Martin landed the pole followed by Same Champ Jimmie, Bowyer, Baby Face, Jeffie G and JR. For those who want to know Flippin’ Carl started 9th, Good Bad Brad started 16th, Rowdy Boy started 34th and Big Brother Busch started 14th. The rest you can look up.
Course Duck was excited to be cheering for his idol but I warned that boy to be mindful of that “big picture” deal we have discussed since the chase started. He said he would so with lunch on the crates and us on our usual ends of the divan we quacked and cheered as the field took the green go ahead for 188 laps of the unknown.
Course everybody knows how the drivers have to pick a draftin’ partner before they start the race. For those with teammates it’s usually an easy choice but for those without such it can be difficult if not impossible. Duck and I expected Same Champ and JR to do the usual and draft together with Jeffie and Markie doin’ the same and they did. Smoke and Flyin’ Ryan tried it this time, too, but that changed up when Ryan got banged up. That’s one of the bad sides of this 2 by 2 deal as y’all know. Anyway with no lap by lap report on NASCAR’s website I can’t give ya one even if I wanted to, which I don’t and can’t remember it all anyway, but I can tell ya that the jostlin’ up front was impressive and constant. When JR pushed Same Champ to the lead the roar in the grandstands was amazin’ but when Same Champ pushed JR to the lead the roar was deafenin’, let me tell ya that one somethin’ right now. Duck and I were woohooin’ all over the place. I was hopin’ for this to be JR’s day to win and Duck was hopin’ his idol would win. Neither one of our wishes came true, sadly for us and those drivers. Course everyone on every lap was expectin’ the “big” one and while there were a few wrecks nothin’ on the scale of years past happened thank out good and gracious LORD. Bobby LaBonte had a pretty nasty hit front, back on the inside wall and then finally on the side when Big Brother Busch couldn’t slow down in time fairly late in thw race. Sad for both of ’em I say. That sweet Bobby hurt his foot and came out of the infield care center with no shoes and only one sock on.
Jeff Burton teamed up with teammate Bowyer and that was a match made for Victory Lane. Except for the last lap Bowyer was the pusher but as we have all seen so many times each driver wants that win and if the timin’ is just right it can work out to pull out and go for the win. That is exactly what happened and Clint was the winner with Burton in tow. GOOD for him I say. That is a great partin’ of the ways gift he gave himself right there wasn’t it now? Anyway Blaney finished 3rd followed by Good Bad, Vickers, Kutie Kahne, Smoke, Hamlin after all his problems, Mikey (so good for him I say) and Truex, Jr. For those who want to know Flippin’ Carl finished 11th, Markie finished 20th, Baby Face in the Woods Bros #21 finished 15th, Robo finished 18th after leadin’ a spell, JR came home 25th with Same Champ followin’ and Jeffie followin’ Same Champ. The rest you can look up. I was able to keep Duck in emotional check by tellin’ him his idol is still leader by 15 over Robo. Good Bad moved up 3 places to 3rd 18 points behind the leader with Smoke in 4th up 1 spot and Happy Man in 5th down 3 spots. The rest you can look up.
Now for the other stuff. I read where Brad Daugherty’s team is leavin’ his affiliation with Mikey. He has got some good people goin’ with him and Duck and I hope all goes well with all those involved.
And did y’all see that smoke comin’ from the hauler in the garage area after the race? Seems some crew members were dumpin’ unused fuel into a storage can and somehow, someway it caught fire. The back of the Truck itself was damaged with hoses melted and what not but noone was hurt thank our good and gracious LORD and the fire was put out real quick like by some crew members. The truck and hauler have now become the haulees, if ya know what I mean.
And finally I have to say the calls for JR and Same Champ Jimmie to hang back in the pack were just like the last restrictor plate race and that was WRONG. They waited too long then and they waited too long yesterday to get their keesters headin’ up front. I kept tellin’ Duck they were waitin’ too long cause it was gettin’ too late and sure enough even JR said he thought they had. Well JR was right and so was this granny. Sure seems unlike Knaus to not learn from his past booboos. Maybe that boy is just tired or somethin’ but when do the drivers take control and do what they think is right? Oh yeah, they are just the ones drivin’. Maybe there is some “big picture” reason goin’ on but WHATEVER this granny says. What do y’all think?
Anyway there ya have it ’til next time. Next week Cup and the Trucks head to Martinsville and Nationwide is off for another weekend so email, comment or don’t. Either way is fine cause I’m a very busy woman and even more so with Freezie May back in these parts. That’s one needy baby sister if ya know what I mean. I’m not tryin’ to complain ya understand, I’m just sayin’. Anyway, Granny Grump over and out.
